


A Light to Guide you Through the Darkest Nights

by a1_kitkat



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Anal, Anal Fingering, Attempted Sexual Assault, Beast Hank, Blow Jobs, Chank, Charles You Slut, Cherik - Freeform, Double Anal Penetration, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends With Benefits, Hand Jobs, Horny Charles, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, Not Beta Read, Rare Pairings, Rimming, Sharing a Bed, Threesome - M/M/M, Top Erik, Top Logan, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Sexual Tension, X-Men: Days of Future Past References, X-Men: Days of Future Past Spoilers, Xavierine - Freeform, instant sexual attraction, serum sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 07:00:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 61,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11179497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: For months Hank has been secretly crushing on Charles but has watched from the sidelines as his best friend brings home a series of strangers to have sex with. One night, when one of Charles's hook-ups turns violent, Hank rescues him from being assaulted and quickly learns a secret that his friend has been hiding from him.Hank's serum, the one that blocks Charles's powers and allows him to walk, completely messes with his body and sends Charles into extreme bouts of arousal. This leads to an interesting 'friends with benefits' arrangement for the two which begins to unravel when a mysterious man from the future arrives on their doorstep and immediately sends them on a mission to free Charles's ex-lover from his cell beneath the PentagonNow Hank must keep his own feelings in check while witnessing Charles's sexual attraction to both Logan and his ex, Erik.Which of these three men will come out on top and who will truly claim Charles's heart?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story begins several months prior to the events of Days of Future Past then runs concurrently, including many scenes of dialogue copied straight from the film.

The corner of the table beside his bed had a small chunk missing from it. Something Charles had never noticed before and he wondered how it had slipped past him all these years. As he lay in bed, on his stomach, head turned to the side, staring vacantly at the damaged cabinet, a strong firm hand covered his; pressing firmly into the mattress. He winced as the man currently pounding into his ass leaned down to tease his neck but painfully bit him.  
He wanted to move but couldn't muster the motivation. He'd be finished soon enough. The man, what was his name again, would come then leave without further instruction... It's what they all did, what Charles wanted and in the morning he'd still feel like shit.

The guy bit him again and Charles winced. He shifted but that didn't change the speed or length of the other man's thrusts. Charles held back a sigh. Despite his lack of enthusiasm and the strangers’ awful technique, it still wasn't the worst sex he'd ever had.  
For the briefest second, he wished he still had his powers then he could make the guy come sooner, maybe even make him jerk him off before leaving. After all, all Charles wanted was to get off and it definitely wasn't happening right now.

The inevitable happened. The guy, Sam? Trevor? Dylan? Whoever... Came with a weirdly loud yelp and Charles had to stop himself laughing out loud. He pulled out, yanked off the condom and threw it towards the wastebasket. His aim was terrible and he missed. Charles winced again, knowing he'd have to clean it up later.  
He rolled onto his back and looked up at the man. He was lucky he had his looks for his prowess in bed was severely lacking.

"You didn't...?" He said to Charles with genuine shock. It was almost cute.  
"No, it would appear not" Charles replied.  
"Oh... Uh... Did you want me to...?"  
Charles shrugged somewhat half-heartedly.  
"Only if you want to"  
"Will you say my name while I...?"  
"What?"  
"It turns me on, hearing my name"  
"Oh... Ummm... Sure"

'Shit' Charles thought to himself. Maybe he should have said no after all.  
"Say my entire name, okay?" He urged as he grasped Charles' cock in his hand.  
"Uh... Okay"  
"Joshua... Not Joe, not Josh"

Charles hid his relief; now he didn't have to try to bluff his way around it.  
Joshua, not Josh, gave his cock a few harried strokes and Charles groaned with approval. He barely had time to utter his name once before Joshua had taken Charles' cock into his mouth. Joshua's tongue was much more skilled than his cock so Charles didn't have to put his acting skills to the test. He cried out the man's name enough times to meet with Joshua, not Josh's, approval and it didn't take long for him to come. It was no surprise to him that Joshua didn't swallow, instead choosing to spit into the wastebasket he'd missed earlier. At least he was considerate enough to pick up the used condom and throw it into the wastebasket now.

Charles sat up as Joshua crossed the room and sank onto the bed.  
"You can show yourself out" Charles stated as he reached for his pillow.  
"Really?"  
"Show's over, we're done"  
"Bit harsh"  
"What? Don't tell me this is your first one night stand?"  
"Not even close but usually I'm the one that unceremoniously kicks the other out"  
"Well, like I said you can show yourself out"

Charles slid off the bed and headed towards the door. His bare feet didn't make a sound as he made his way towards the bathroom. He climbed into the shower to wash away all traces of his latest escapade. By the time he returned to his room, his latest mistake was long gone. He poured himself a drink and took a small sip before sliding into bed, settling down with the glass in his hand. Charles closed his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

He reached into the top drawer of the bedside cabinet and pulled out a notebook. It was stupid to keep count yet he felt compelled to. He flicked a few pages in then made a mark on the page before writing 'Joshua not Josh'  
He knew he should feel something but he didn't. There were a lot of marks and names on the page so he slammed the book closed before his mind could linger too much on how far he'd fallen in such a short time...  
And how he'd gotten there in the first place.

****

The school had all but closed with what few students and teachers they'd had all leaving at once. Only Hank stayed with Charles, not wanting to leave his friend alone. It didn't take long for the school (and Charles) to fall into a state of disrepair.  
Time passed, Hank worked in his lab, still hoping to improve the cure and continuing to test it on himself. He was able to help Charles by 'curing' his telepathy but what began as the occasional injection to stave off headaches quickly became an addiction yet Hank couldn't bring himself to deprive Charles of something he desperately wanted.

Then, out of the blue, Charles received a letter from a former Oxford classmate. It had come as a complete surprise as he'd not had any contact with any of his fellow students so when word came from an old friend that he would be in New York and happy to make a trip to Westchester, Charles finally pulled himself together. He couldn't let his friend come to the house so he waited until the date he was due in New York and telephoned the hotel.

The next morning, Charles showered (much to Hank's delight) and dressed in reasonably nice clothes before making his way to meet with his old friend. They met for a late lunch or early dinner depending who you asked. Charles stepped into the restaurant and spotted the man from across the room. His heart leapt into his throat. 

'God he's barely aged a day' he thought as he approached.  
William stood up as Charles reached his table, he held his hand out and Charles shook it in greeting.  
It was the first time Charles had been with him and not be able to use his powers on him... Not that he had ever used his gifts like that, not on William anyway.

They sat down, ordered drinks and talked. And talked. And talked.  
And flirted. Charles was out of practice but he knew William was flirting with him because that's what they'd done all those years ago but neither of them had ever acted on their feelings. Charles had cared more for his studies and Raven while William had been engaged to a beautiful young woman.  
Well it turned out now Raven was long gone and William was in the midst of an expensive divorce. And so they flirted. Charles hadn't been with anyone since Erik. There had been the occasional potential suitor but none had ever been quite right. Being here with William was like traveling back in time, to a time before Erik, before Cuba, before... Everything. When Charles had been a bit more carefree.

They ate and they drank. Charles smiled, laughed even, for the first time in months. His recent habits meant he was able to hold his alcohol. It got late and the air around them was filled with electricity, want and need. William invited Charles back to his hotel room for a nightcap and Charles heard himself agreeing.

Once behind the privacy of a locked hotel room door, they did enjoy a glass of scotch each but it disappeared quickly. Neither of them said much as William made the first move and Charles didn't try to stop him. Before he knew it, he was half naked on the large bed and kissing the other man like his life depended on it.

The truth was, ever since he'd started taking the serum Hank had invented, his body had been experiencing some odd side effects. Having the use of his legs was one of them but the one he hadn't told Hank about was what it seemed to be doing to his libido.  
He'd taken to treating himself with excessive and enthusiastic hand jobs along with some special toys Erik used to use on him but it wasn't the same. The toys had little effect without Erik there to control and manipulate them. And his own hand didn't quite compare to having someone physically there to kiss and hold and grind against. It was absolute bliss!

Charles had dreamed of this moment a lot during his time at Oxford and the wait was rather worth it. Their bodies came together so perfectly, with a rhythm that sent them both into overdrive. When Charles came, it was the most intense orgasm he'd had in years. They fell asleep in each other’s arms with Charles stealing lazy kisses from the other man’s lips.  
But the following morning when Charles awoke, he found his clothes laid out at the foot of the bed and a note from William saying he'd had a fun time but he had to go to a business meeting. He was considerate enough to suggest meeting up again the next time he was in town on business.

Charles returned to Westchester in an unusual mood but was immediately met with a very frazzled Hank. The younger man having worked himself to a mild panic when it hadn't crossed his mind that Charles would possibly spend the night in the city. He apologized for worrying his friend, admitted it had been a very last minute decision then excused himself for the rest of the day.

As the days wore on and Charles continued to take the serum, his sexual appetite increased. No longer satisfied with only himself and his hand for company, he knew he was going to have to seek outside help.  
Hank became his oblivious accomplice in his plan. Charles asked his friend to accompany him into the city where they dined at one of the finest gentlemen's clubs around, Charles having had memberships at most if not all of them. The younger man was blissfully unaware at what was transpiring inside his friends mind and was delighted to be out of the mansion and around other people.

Charles was on the prowl from the minute they walked in the door. The club was very crowded for a Sunday night, with members obviously gathered for one final hurrah before returning to work the following morning. Charles put on a front for Hank's benefit, though he was enjoying himself as he scanned the crowd for his safest bet.

Hank proved to be quite the conversationalist and found himself engaging with a lot of the other patrons so he didn't immediately notice when Charles disappeared from his sights.  
It wasn't until much later when he excused himself and went to the bathroom that he found Charles.  
He pushed the door open and quietly ducked inside to wash his face and hands, the main room having been very crowded and therefore hot from body mass, a noise from one of the stalls caught his attention. He turned and looked at the closed door. There were two people inside, he could smell both of them, and he winced at the almost pungent stench of sex.  
Hank turned the tap on, the water not quite blocking out his over sensitive hearing, he could hear the sound of flesh on flesh and the low moans that emitted from Charles' lips.

He wasn't sure what to do, the shock still controlling him.  
"Charles?" He heard himself asking. "Are you in here?"  
He waited, wondering if he'd actually get a response.  
"Bit... Busy at the moment, Hank" Charles sounded out of breath.  
"Are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?"  
"I... I'm fine... Hank... We... I'll be out soon"  
"Uh okay"  
"Just go back to the party and I'll come find you when I'm done"  
"Sure, Charles, uh take your time"

Hank left the bathroom and returned to the main hall but he kept his eyes on the bathroom door, waiting to see Charles reappear. His interest was piqued purely because he hadn't seen a single woman since stepping in the main door of the club. It made him wonder where Charles had managed to find one, unless...?

His suspicions were confirmed five minutes later when Charles exited the bathroom, followed very closely by a rather finely dressed young man. Hank didn't exactly know how to feel about seeing Charles in the company of a man... Mostly because he knew it was wrong to feel jealous, that Charles was just his friend and nothing more but these past few years, Hank's feelings for Charles had definitely evolved.  
It wasn't that he was surprised to see Charles with a man or perhaps he was... It had been no secret within the mansion of the relationship between Charles and Erik. Sure they never came out and said it but they didn't hide it either. Many nights when Hank had gone into the Library to find a book, he would pass by the two men kissing on the couch. He never interrupted nor did they feel the need to stop and make up an excuse, it was just accepted by all that Erik and Charles were sleeping together... But it had come as the biggest surprise to Raven, especially when she told Hank how shamelessly Charles had flirted with Moira prior to meeting Erik.

He wondered if he'd been played, had Charles brought him here just so he could do what he'd done? He told himself no, that Charles could have come without him but he'd chosen to invite Hank along... That had to mean something, didn't it?  
He was waiting for Charles to come to him, tell him they could leave but a snippet of conversation caught his attention and he found himself joining in. All thoughts of his friend disappeared as he lost himself in the discussion.

Quite some time later, Hank found Charles asleep in one of the lush armchairs by the fire, a glass of scotch resting vicariously in his hand. He took the glass from harm's way and gently woke his friend. Charles was sleepy and slightly tipsy as Hank helped him out to the car and settled him in the passenger seat.  
The drive back to the mansion felt shorter with Charles asleep on his shoulder. He kept one hand on the wheel, his other arm around Charles and a sly smile on his face.  
Once there, Hank didn't have the heart to wake his friend so he unlocked the front door then returned to the car and carefully eased Charles into his arms. He carried his friend up to bed and deposited him on the mattress. Hank removed Charles' shoes then placed a blanket over him before leaving the room.

*

They didn't talk about their night out until a week later when Charles invited Hank to join him again. The younger man was tempted to say no, wondering if Charles had an ulterior motive but he liked the idea of getting out again. Sure he was free to come and go as he pleased but on the rare occasion he did go out, he had come home to find Charles passed out drunk on the floor.  
Hank agreed and out they went. 

It was a different club but a lot of the patrons were the same. Hank joined in a lively political debate while Charles quietly observed the room. It was one of those times when he almost missed his telepathy; a quick peek into the mind would make finding a mark much quicker.  
Once found and acquired, Charles found himself pressed up against the bathroom door with his trousers around his ankles and a less than average size cock pounding into his ass.

This wasn't working.  
Yes, it was getting the job done but it wasn't enough. He didn't want to stop though, he couldn't stop now that he'd started but this was in no way comfortable and it was over way too quickly.  
The older man came inside Charles, pulled free and wiped himself clean with toilet paper. He left without saying a word, leaving Charles alone in the stall. He cleaned himself up as best he could before going in search of Hank.

*

Charles quickly grew bored of traveling all the way into town for a five minute hook up in a tiny bathroom stall so he started looking closer to home. A local hangout that was frequented by gay men and prostitutes became his refuge. He stole a fair share of the prostitute's business by offering himself up for free, his only stipulations were they be willing to accompany him home to have sex in his own bed and be gone long before sun up.  
It worked well for him for some time and was even better once Hank caught him in the act as he no longer felt that he needed to sneak around or be quiet. He kept waiting for Hank to say something but the younger man never said a word.


	2. Chapter 2

It was early, a lot earlier than Hank was used to being awake but he had had a difficult time trying to sleep due to some calculations that wouldn't leave his brain alone. So he begrudgingly climbed out of bed, dressed in the semi-darkness and made his way down to his lab. He worked for some time until his stomach began to grumble and his need for breakfast won out.

Hank left his lab and made his way to the kitchen. The sun was just coming up over the horizon but he turned the light on anyway so he could see what he was doing as he busied himself making scrambled eggs. He heard movement behind him and greeted Charles with a friendly 'good morning'. He didn't expect a response; he was shocked to think that Charles would even be out of bed at this hour.

"I'm making eggs" Hank said, his back still turned. He heard the refrigerator open. "You want some?"  
"No thank you"

He managed to keep his calm and not jump with shock. The voice speaking to him was definitely not Charles; yet he had to do a double take to make certain it wasn't who he immediately thought it was.  
The man standing before him had an air about him that Hank instantly disliked and his accent was very distinctively German. He sounded an awful lot like...

"You must be the roommate" The man greeted Hank. He extended his hand for a handshake. Hank nodded mutely and shook the man's hand.  
"Uh... Yes... The roommate" Hank replied.  
"I'm Elias"  
"Hank"  
"I uh hope we didn't wake you, he's quite the screamer"

Hank shook his head, unsure what he was supposed to say. He watched as Elias plucked the carton of juice from the refrigerator then located a glass and poured a generous serving into the glass.

"Can I ask you something?" Elias asked as he put the juice away. He picked up the glass and leaned back against the refrigerator, looking eagerly at Hank.  
"Uh... Sure?" Hank stammered. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening right now.  
"Is it true? About his boyfriend?" He pointed to the roof, as though suggesting Charles was right above their heads.  
"What about a boyfriend?" He honestly had no idea what this stranger was doing in his kitchen or what he was talking about.  
"I asked him why he was single and he said his lover's in prison! He doesn't strike me as the type to have a felon for a boyfriend"  
"Uh..."

Hank's brain was whirring a mile a minute. He was obviously talking about Erik but Charles had never once openly admitted that he was still harbouring feelings for Erik.  
"Yeah, sure, it's true" Hank turned his attention back to preparing his food. Was he meant to keep up a conversation with this man? If so was he supposed to tell the truth or spin a lie? He wasn't prepared for this line of questioning or for making small talk with... Whoever this was.  
"What did he do? Rob a bank?"  
"He killed the president" he couldn't think of a good enough lie when put on the spot.  
"He what?"

"What are you doing here?" Charles' voice was harsh and loud.  
Elias turned and looked at him with a mock expression of confusion on his face.  
"You invited me into your home last night... I know I was supposed to leave but well I figured since we had such a fun time last night, we might have another round this morning?"  
"Piss off"

"Charles!" Hank heard himself snap.

"Stay out of this, Hank" Charles turned his attention to the other man. "I made myself clear last night; now get the fuck out of my home before my friend throws you out!"

Standing in the doorway in a pair of faded pyjama pants and an open dressing gown, Charles did not look as menacing as he sounded but the hard gaze in his eyes pervaded his message. He turned on his heel and stomped out of the room. Hank heard him making his way up the stairs a moment later. He turned to Elias.

"You really should go" Hank said to him.  
"Well, someone sure did a number on him" Elias looked like he felt sorry for Charles. "How long has his boyfriend been locked up?"  
"Uh about nine years"  
"Has he been like that all this time?"  
"No... That... That's a recent development"

Elias put his empty glass in the sink and started towards the door but stopped and turned back to look at Hank.  
"I'm not the first, am I?" He asked.  
"The first?"  
"Stray he's brought home for... Fun"  
"No, definitely not the first and you won't be the last either"  
"It can't be good for him but I'm sure you've done your best to try and stop him"  
"He's a grown man; it's none of my business-"  
"Make it your business... He'll thank you for it later"  
"I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself"

"Is he uh the jealous type?"  
"Who? Charles?"  
"No, the boyfriend... Like, will he be mad if he finds out about me... This... Last night..."  
Hank considered the question for a moment.  
"Oh yeah, he'd be really mad" he assured him. "But it's highly unlikely he'll ever see freedom again so... Still, probably best you not come back, ever again"  
Elias snorted. "Yeah, Charles said the same thing but I figured it was his way of trying to kick me out"  
"Oh no, Charles would just tell you to go... He can be quite... Forward"  
"Yeah, I kinda got that impression" he said with a smirk.  
Elias slipped out the door. Hank listened to his footsteps all the way to the front hall. 

The door opened and closed. He made his way to the window and watched the man climb into his car. Charles always picked up men with their own transport to take them home.  
The stranger’s words echoed in Hank's mind. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about talking to Charles himself but his friend had never brought it up so he figured it was just going to be one of those things they don't talk about... Like Erik, like Raven. Charles didn't like to talk about such sore subjects so Hank had learned quickly not to mention them...   
But Charles had indulged long enough. The younger man had been saying for years that this was Hank's home now which meant he had equal say in what happened and who was or wasn't welcome here. Hank was already certain that the last two men Charles had brought home had stolen from him.   
Perhaps now really was the time to say something... After breakfast anyway.

*

It was quite some time after before Hank made his way up the stairs to Charles' room. He stood in the hall for a few minutes trying to compose his thoughts and prepare exactly what to say to his friend. Trying not to appear too concerned, he raised his fist and knocked twice before taking a step back. He wasn't sure if Charles would call him in or open the door himself.  
Neither happened so he knocked again.

Several beats passed. He was going to knock for a third time but stopped when he heard Charles' voice asking what he wanted.

"Can I come in?" He asked through the closed door.  
"Why?"  
"I want to talk and it's hard to do with a door in the way"  
"Fine"  
He could've sworn he heard the sigh in his friend's tone.

Hank pushed the door open and stepped into the room. It was dark and smelt off; Sometimes Hank really disliked his heightened sense of smell. The curtains were closed and none of the lamps had been switched on. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust and he found Charles sitting in an armchair at the far end of the room. He was still wearing the pyjama pants and dressing gown.

"Charles" Hank began. He knew he sounded worse than he intended but it tore at his heart seeing his friend like this.  
He barely saw the older man move but heard him shift in the chair.  
"I'm sorry if he bothered you" Charles apologized. "I told him to leave hours ago but I fell asleep, he must have stayed after I specifically told him to go"  
"It's not that" he hesitated. "Though he did catch me off-guard; see I thought he was you because my back was turned and when he spoke I... I had to do a double take"  
"Something about his voice throw you off?"  
"He sounded just like-"  
"No he didn't" Charles cut him off before he could say the name they were both thinking of.  
"Is that why you chose him?"  
"Chose him?"  
"I'm not an idiot, Charles, I know that deep down there's a strategy inside your head... Why you pick the ones you do"  
"There is no method, Hank, just a matter of finding willing participants who will respect my requests"  
"And what exactly do you request of them?"

Charles stared at Hank from across the dimly lit room. The scientist was still standing in the doorway so he could see the expression on his face.  
"You don't really wish to know" he said. "Do you?"  
"Try me" Hank replied as he moved into the room.  
He didn't want to get too close to Charles but he didn't want to sit down on the rumpled sheets of the unmade bed either.

"Just the basics" Charles looked away. "I won't let them kiss me and they can't stay the night, most barely stay an hour"  
"Do you... Pay them, Charles?"  
The older may snorted.  
"You think I have to bribe them into my bed?"  
"No, of course not, but... You seem to be bringing a fair few home lately and... Never the same one twice, surely you'll run out eventually"  
"Have you been keeping a running tab on me?"  
"Not intentionally"  
Charles chuckled to himself.

"Do you tell all of them about Erik?" Hank saw the way Charles flinched at the sound of his name.  
"Only the ones that ask" he confessed.  
"And you tell them.... What? Exactly?"  
"That I'm lonely because he's locked up, that I just want someone to fuck me and not stick around. I'm not looking for a relationship, just sex"

Hank held back a sigh. He moved closer to Charles and stopped just shy of his friend, he reached out for his hand but the older man folded his arms across his chest.

"I don't understand why you're doing this, Charles" Hank said to him.   
"I don't expect you to" Charles replied, averting his eyes.  
"What happened between you and Erik was a long time ago, you moved on, you were happy and thriving... Why put yourself through all this now?"

He waited for a response but Charles didn't say a word. Perhaps he was thinking it over, either way, he didn't answer.  
"Is it really just because you're lonely?" Hank continued. "Because there’s no way you have any loyalty left towards Erik or is it a lie you're telling yourself? Not allowing yourself to fall in love again? Are you afraid of getting hurt again? Because it's part of life, you stumble but you get back up"  
"You think it's that easy?"  
"It's been nine years, Charles. You know he's not coming back to you"  
"And yet you're doing the same thing, staying here, waiting for Raven to come back to you"  
"That's completely different... She could come back if she wanted to but she obviously doesn't want to"

Hank moved away, towards the window but didn't reach for the curtain.  
"You can't compare what Raven and I had to what you and Erik were" he muttered.  
"Would you stop saying that name?"  
"Which one? Raven? Erik?"  
"What is wrong with you, Hank? You have never been this... This..."

"What's wrong with me?" Hank snapped. "You're the one who practically installed a revolving door on your bedroom, whoring yourself all over town and for what? Because you're 'lonely'? You're never going to get anywhere if you don't even try. There are good people out there, Charles, someone just waiting to fall in love with you and earn your love in return but you're never going to meet them like this"  
"It's none of your business, Hank, who I do and don't sleep with"

"You've been telling me for years that this is my home too, that I have equal say in what goes on here" Hank cut in.   
"And you did, while it was a school"  
"And now? Now I'm just supposed to sit back and watch you bring an endless stream of men home to rob the place?"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"Last week, the guy with the tattoos, he stole the antique ashtray from the study... The guy before him took the candlesticks from the library"

"I wasn't aware you'd taken up smoking and reading by candlelight" Charles snapped.

He tried to place the items Hank spoke of but he never really paid much attention anymore. The candlesticks had belonged to his grandmother and the ashtray he couldn't ever remember seeing in the study. It hurt a little to think these people were stealing from him but it wasn't like he was paying them for their time or the sex so perhaps they felt the need to take payment another way.

"That's not the point, Charles" Hank said.  
"Hank, we've lived together under this roof for a long, long time... and we both know how this arrangement works, neither of us have anywhere else to go" Charles sounded defeated. "But if you don't approve of my current... Lifestyle choices then you're free to leave whenever you want"

The words hung in the air before Hank responded.  
"I couldn't leave even if I wanted to, Charles" he admitted softly.  
"And why is that?"  
"Because you're my friend and if you're not going to take care of yourself then who else will"  
"Hank-"  
"I may not approve of this behaviour but know that it's because I care about you that I'm saying anything at all. You're right, I have no say in your life and what you do with it but I truly hate to see potential like yours being thrown away"

Unsure of what else to say and not wanting the argument to continue, Hank headed towards the door. Charles didn't say a word as Hank walked away. He watched his friend disappear out the door but made no effort to call him back.

Charles stayed in the armchair for a very long time, mulling over everything Hank had just said to him. It had been several months since he and Hank had gone out together and he wondered if his friend was just bored of being cooped up in the house or perhaps he was jealous. Charles himself was going out on a regular basis, at night and only long enough to pick someone up, but Hank remained in the mansion all the time. The genius scientist spent too much time isolated in his lab.

He staggered across the room to the bottle of scotch he'd been drinking the previous night and raised it to his lips but it was completely empty. Sighing in disappointment, he put the bottle down and squeezed his eyes closed before throwing himself down on the bed. The sheets definitely needed to be changed. He winced at the smell until he realized it wasn't just the sheets that reeked of sex.

Charles begrudgingly climbed to his feet and made his way into the bathroom. He stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower. As he scrubbed himself thoroughly with soap, he spotted the bruises on his hips. The result of last night's conquest being a little too enthusiastic in his technique. There were teeth marks on his neck too. This confused him as he didn't recall any special attention focusing on his sensitive neck... Maybe he'd been tipsier than he thought.  
Several of his recent bed companions had been very keen on nipping and biting him. He usually encouraged it but honestly didn't remember it the previous night.

He turned the water off and reached for a towel. Drying himself in front of the mirror, he examined his body, checking for other signs of trauma.  
There wasn't any so he trudged back to his room, walking completely naked down the hallway.  
If anything, his recent activity had made him a lot less self-conscious about his body. He padded down the hall and didn't even bother to close the door while he got dressed, well it wasn't as though Hank was going to come back upstairs anytime soon.

Once dressed, Charles quietly made his way down to the study and observed the room. There was an outline of dust where something had recently been moved. In the Library he found the same thing. Hank had been telling the truth, items were definitely going missing.  
He sighed and shook his head.  
Maybe he needed to start escorting them to the front door, make sure nothing else gets stolen and to avoid another run-in in the Kitchen with Hank. He did not want a repeat of that.

Charles moved towards the table and selected an unopened bottle of whiskey. He blew the dust off a nearby glass, not being bothered to go wash it properly, and poured himself a drink.  
He sat on the couch with the bottle in one hand and the glass in the other. And there he stayed all morning, thinking over his options.

Bringing strangers home was probably not a good idea but he couldn't stop. He didn't want to give up the physical release he got from being with another man. He was certain each dose of Hank's 'cure' was making his craving for sex worse but he couldn't stop taking it; he wasn't ready for the voices to come back, to consume him, to very slowly drive him mad. Maybe he needed to talk to Hank, to see if he could adjust the serum to counteract the odd side effect but his friend may stop giving him the serum altogether and he couldn't risk that happening.

Charles avoided Hank for the rest of the day. It wasn't difficult to do, the scientist spent most of the afternoon in his lab. Charles heard him in the kitchen preparing lunch but he remained in the Library until he was certain Hank was back in the lab before venturing into the kitchen himself.  
Hank had made lunch for Charles... Like he did every day. His earlier words echoed in Charles' mind 'if you're not going to take care of yourself, who else will?'

He took his food upstairs and locked himself in his room. His meal tasted like cardboard in his mouth but he knew it was because Hank's words had affected him deeper than he first thought.  
After eating, he reached into his drawer and pulled out a syringe with a dose of serum. The needle pierced his skin but he barely felt it anymore. He sat for a time, enjoying the silence of not hearing hundreds of voices inside his head at once, before stripping the sheets from his bed and tossing them on the floor. They needed to be washed but he was not in the mood. Instead, he crawled onto the bare mattress, buried his face in the pillow and drifted off to sleep.  
*

Hank was on his way up the stairs to ask Charles if he was going to join him for dinner when he heard an unusual sound. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he hurried up the last few steps. He didn't think it was possible for Charles to have company but he opened his bedroom door with slow caution.

The sound came again and now he knew it was emanating from Charles' room. Bracing himself for what he might find, he was shocked at what he discovered.  
Charles was asleep, or at least had his eyes closed, his pants lowered to just above his knees, freeing his rock hard cock which he was grasping in one hand while very enthusiastically thrusting his hips.

Hank gasped at the beautiful image of Charles touching himself and remained in the doorway just gazing at the older man. Charles was groaning with delight as he worked himself closer to the edge and Hank couldn't tear his gaze away. His eyes began to water as he tried not to blink, from fear of missing even a second of Charles' magnificent performance. His friend's cries of pleasure were having an effect on him as he felt his own cock beginning to stir.

He insisted he wasn't going to touch himself, that he needed to turn around and walk away but he couldn't seem to convey the message to the rest of his body. His feet had rooted to the spot and his brain couldn't think of anything but the stunning image before him.  
Charles groaned and raised his free hand to his face, covering his eyes. Hank took a step back in case the older man opened his eyes and saw him but Charles was too preoccupied.

Hank could only stare, licking his dry lips, as he witnessed the drops of cum pooling at the tip of Charles's cock. He wanted, desperately, to taste the salty sweetness of Charles' offering but he told himself not to move. He watched as Charles furiously pumped his cock, occasionally thrusting his hips into his touch, while keeping up a continuous stream of words like 'yes, oh god and please'.   
He wasn't sure who Charles was pleading with and longed to, one day, be the person to make Charles beg, whimper, and climax.  
If he weren't so nervous of how his friend would react to his touch, Hank would be by his side in a second, running his tongue the length of Charles' hard member...

Hank watched as Charles fondled his balls and he dug his teeth into his lip to stop himself saying something that would interrupt or distract his friend. It went on for some time and Hank was very impressed with Charles's stamina. His own hand slid down his chest to cup himself through his pants as he slapped his other hand across his mouth to stifle any of his own sounds.

Charles's cock was hard and seeping with come. Hank wanted nothing more than to touch and taste it but he remained rooted to the spot, staring as Charles became more vigorous with his strokes. The sight of his friend coming was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen and he sank his teeth into his hand to prevent himself from crying out in pure delight. 

Charles came all over his hand and cock, crying out himself a little louder than he thought. He hoped Hank hadn't been able to hear from down in his lab.  
His entire body was tingling as he panted for breath. He opened his eyes and looked towards the doorway but the door was firmly closed. Charles sat up, for the briefest second he could have sworn someone had been watching him. Shaking the feeling off, he wiped his hand on his shirt before pulling it off over his head and using it to wipe the semen from his cock. He tossed the shirt into the corner of the room, it landed next to the discarded dirty sheets and he made a mental note to wash both very soon.  
He changed into less dirty or stained clothes and headed down the stairs in search of dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

Charles was very surprised to enter an empty kitchen; Hank was usually very strict on his eating habits and his routine, plus the younger man had been up much earlier than usual that morning. Charles wondered if maybe Hank had eaten an early dinner but reasoned that he would have put leftovers in the refrigerator for him... Hank was very considerate like that. It made him realize that aside from allowing Hank to live in the mansion, Charles made no other effort towards his friend.  
He moved through the house and down to Hank's lab. The door was closed so he knocked, louder than he planned. A few moments later, a rather flustered Hank opened the door to greet him.

"Charles?"  
"Uh hello, Hank"  
They stood awkwardly in the doorway for a few moments.  
"Would you like to come in?" Hank asked.  
"Please"

Hank stepped aside and allowed Charles into his workspace. The older man hadn't been down here in a long, long time.  
"You've been busy" Charles meant it as a compliment.  
"It uh helps to not have much else to do" he confessed. He saw the pained look in Charles' eyes at his words. It was hard on both of them; they both missed the school... Over before it had even really got the chance to begin.

Charles reached out to pick up an unfamiliar object but changed his mind and pulled away.  
"I didn't know" Charles confessed. "That is, I hadn't noticed we'd been robbed"  
"I'm not sure if two items counts as robbed"  
"I haven't exactly been very... Careful in regards to the... Company I've been inviting into our home lately" he looked up and met Hank's gaze. "This is our home and if you do not feel safe here anymore-"  
"I never said that! I... I never once thought that, Charles, honestly I feel as safe here as ever"  
"But you were correct in your observations"  
Charles moved around the lab, examining the very expensive equipment kept in the room. Sure, no one could accidentally find their way down here but there was much value in a lot of the items kept in this room alone.

"If I can be honest with you, Hank" Charles began.  
"Of course, always Charles"  
The scientist sank down in a chair but Charles remained standing, he folded his arms across his chest.  
"I don't intend to stop what I've been doing" Charles admitted.  
"I would never ask you to" Hank replied.  
"You don't approve and I understand that but I... Have my reasons for doing what I do... And I may explain them to you, one day, but for now, it's just something I need to do... Like the voices in my head, how I need them gone"  
"Are you in some kind of trouble, Charles?"

The Professor actually smiled with a small twinkle in his shining blue eyes.  
"I'm fine, Hank" Charles insisted. "But I want you to be okay with this... I promise to do better to keep them away from you; for the most part I'll attempt to ensure you never know when someone is here"  
"Perhaps you could have set days or evenings and I can make myself be elsewhere?"  
"No, I do not wish for you to feel you must avoid the place"  
"Then why don't you just let me know on your way out the door then I can decide for myself where I should or shouldn't be?"  
"That sounds fair"

Hank smiled in agreement. It was definitely one of his most unusual conversations. He couldn't believe he was so casually discussing his friend's sex life and trying to work out a schedule for it. From the way Charles was acting towards him now, he was almost certain the older man didn't know that Hank had been outside his bedroom door not even an hour ago. 

"Are you hungry?" Hank quickly changed the topic of conversation. "I think it's getting late and I haven't started-"  
"Let's go out" Charles suggested.  
A mental image of Charles being fucked by a nameless, faceless man inside a bathroom stall flashed through Hank's mind.  
"Uh" he hesitated.

At first Charles was confused, unsure where Hank's hesitation was stemming from until he saw the look in his eyes and the realization hit him.  
"Oh" Charles's face fell. "I'm sorry, Hank, I didn't know that you knew..."  
"I can't help it, Charles, it's almost an instinct now for me to keep an eye on you and..." It was Hank's turn to avert his gaze. "You can clean up as best you can but you can't wipe the smell of sex off your skin"  
"I'm sorry, I really had no idea"  
"it’s okay, Charles"  
"I didn't mean for you to find out... I really did just want you to have a nice, relaxing time"  
"It's fine, Charles, really"

Charles swallowed, nervously. "I want us to go out, just the two of us" he said to Hank. "And I promise not to leave your side all night, no one else will even cross my mind, you will have my undivided attention"  
"Charles-"  
"Please, Hank? I... I want to make this up to you"  
"Honestly Charles you don't have to"  
"I want to, please? I want to"

Hank could see the earnest expression on Charles’ face and felt his hesitation fading. In his mind though, he couldn't help thinking the show Charles had unknowingly put on for him that afternoon more than made up for it. But the thought of going out for a night with the older man, the promise of his undivided attention, was too good to pass up.

“Okay” Hank heard himself agreeing.  
“Really?” Charles asked.  
“Yes, really”  
“Splendid”  
“Where would you like to go?”  
“Oh no, Hank, tonight is about you, you decide where we’re going”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes, my friend, tonight is my way of making everything up to you”

*

Charles didn’t shave but he did shower and brush his hair. He dressed in nice, clean clothes and was an image of perfection in Hank’s eyes when he came down from his own room and saw Charles standing in the entryway. 

“Well, you sure do clean up nicely” Hank couldn’t help saying.  
“Thank you, Hank” Charles smiled up at him, almost shyly.

They made their way out to the car, Hank slid behind the wheel and Charles settled into the passenger seat. The drive was mostly in silence until Charles asked Hank what he was currently working on. The scientist came alive as he explained in great detail every experiment he was developing in his lab. He listened very intently and asked just enough questions to keep Hank talking. Charles wanted Hank to enjoy himself tonight. And he did.

It was one of the best nights Hank had had in a long, long time. They went for dinner then onto a bar for a few drinks. Even with his scruffy whiskers and his longer hair, Charles managed to turn heads. Several women and even two men offered to buy him a drink but he declined each one of them. Hank did see one attractive man trying to catch Charles’ eye but his friend kept his promise and his attention never once waivered from Hank.  
He could almost pretend they were on a date, he wanted them to be but he didn’t dare voice his thoughts. Charles wasn’t aware of Hank’s feelings for him and he wanted to keep it that way… Though he wondered if Charles would stop sleeping around if he knew… If he knew that every man he brought home was like a dagger in Hank’s heart.

They both drank too much, to the point that neither of them was in any state to drive home. Charles made the executive decision to walk the few blocks to one of his clubs and check them into a room to stay the night. The room only had one bed but Charles had no reservations about sharing a bed. Hank was slightly more conservative, terrified at the thought of being so close to Charles… Especially once the older man began to strip off his clothes.  
Seeing no way out of his predicament, Hank reluctantly kicked off his shoes and removed his tie. One pointed look from Charles, a look that clearly said ‘stop being so modest’ had him removing his shirt and pants. He slid under the sheets next to Charles and lie on his back. He stared up at the ceiling, trying desperately hard not to move or react in any way.   
He didn’t sleep a wink; he stayed awake the entire night just listening to the sound of Charles sleeping beside him. Every time Charles shifted in his sleep, Hank had to resist the urge to reach out and wrap his arms around him, pull him close and hold him.

Charles woke early, feeling refreshed yet confused, momentarily forgetting where he was and how he’d gotten there. He spotted Hank sitting by the window and the events of the previous night came rushing back.

“Good…morning” Charles sounded groggy.  
“Morning Charles” Hank smiled at him.  
“Did you sleep well?”  
“Uh… Yeah, of course, very comfortably”  
“Me too… Shall we go down for breakfast before heading home?”  
“Sounds good to me”

*

They were not the only people eating breakfast in the same clothes as the night before though theirs were the most rumbled. Charles apologized for not thinking to organize someone to press their clothes for them overnight but Hank didn’t mind. The food tasted wonderful and he loved spending time with this version of Charles.   
In the back of his mind he couldn’t help wondering how long it would be for this Charles to vanish, to be replaced with the downtrodden shell he’d been in recent times… But it was reassuring to know the old Charles was still in there somewhere. He wondered what he could do to encourage this Charles to stay longer.

Before he knew it, they were back in the car and Hank was driving away from the city, back towards the large, empty mansion. He knew it was going to be a long time before he forgot the events of the previous night, the circumstances that led to him sharing a bed with Charles, the little things his friend had done to make the night about him.   
At breakfast, he’d found himself staring at the other man’s lips, wanting so desperately to lean across the table and kiss him but he wasn’t crazy enough to do something like that in public. Unfortunately, he wasn’t brave enough to do it in the privacy of the mansion either. As much as he wanted to, Hank had never once gotten even the slightest hint that Charles was attracted to him. Sure, Charles was currently sleeping with a lot of men whom he most likely wasn’t attracted to but that wasn’t what Hank wanted from the other man.   
He wanted to be able to look into his eyes, tell him that he loved him and hear the same words said back to him.

“We uh need groceries” Hank said as the car drew nearer to home. “Shall I drop you off and go back out or just stop on the way?”  
“I would very much like to go home, if you do not mind” Charles replied.  
“Of course”

Hank pulled up at the main gate and Charles instructed him to stop. The older man climbed out of the car and stated he would walk the rest of the way. Hank nodded in understanding and watched as Charles disappeared through the ratty gate. The older man didn’t even stop to look at the sign that had fallen onto the ground. Hank waited until his friend was completely gone from his sight before turning the car around and heading off again.

Once at the store, Hank picked up the basics and the necessities. Fruit and meat; wine and whiskey. He even stopped and picked up a box of condoms, intending to slip them into Charles’ room at some point. He hoped and prayed that while Charles was playing the field, he wasn’t being completely reckless by not using some kind of protection.  
He returned to the mansion in a relatively good mood. He stocked the pantry, the refrigerator and the liquor cabinet before settling in the kitchen to make a sandwich. He’d just taken his last bite when he looked up and saw Charles watching him from the doorway. The older man had changed back into sweatpants and a stained shirt.

“I do not wish to disturb you” Charles greeted him.  
“You’re not” Hank replied. “Its fine, Charles”  
“Did you get everything we needed?”  
“I did” he hesitated. Charles frowned at him.  
“What is wrong, Hank?”  
“I… Nothing… I just… Don’t want to ruin this… thing we have going between us”  
“And what makes you think you could do that?”  
“I bought you these”

Hank reached into his pocket, pulled out the box and slid it across the table towards Charles. His friend looked down at the box of condoms then up at Hank with a mixed expression upon his face.  
“We’ve already established that it’s your life and you can do what you want with it” Hank continued. “You made it very clear that you don’t intend to stop so I just want to be sure that you’re being careful”  
Charles reached out and placed his hand on top of the box.  
“You’re right, it is my life and I should thank you for your concern, Hank”  
The scientist simply nodded his head. He didn’t need any more acknowledgement than that.

“Thank you for last night, Charles” Hank said. “It really meant a lot to me”  
“Me too” Charles replied. “It was nice to just go out and not have to think about anything but having a good time”  
“Will you… be going out tonight at all?”  
“I do not believe so, I am quite tired, I should rest”

“How are you for uh the uh… do you need more serum?” Hank fumbled over the words, he wasn’t sure why.  
“I believe I have enough for the next few days” Charles said.  
“Then I should go to my lab and mix up some more, I’m running a little low myself”  
“It was fortunate you keep extra in the car or the patrons of the club may have awoken to quite a surprise this morning” Charles said with a chuckle.  
"You're telling me" Hank agreed with a giggle.

***

A week passed and Charles didn't go out at all. Hank was too nervous to question it but a part of him really wished that he was the reason behind Charles' change of habits. Despite the older man confining himself to the mansion, Hank barely saw him. He heard him traipsing the halls at random times of the day and night.

Then, one evening, Hank was sitting in the library with a book when Charles appeared in the doorway.  
"I'm going out" he said. "Just... Letting you know, like we agreed"  
"Uh sure, Charles" Hank replied rather awkwardly. "I... I'll be down in my lab most of the night"  
"Okay, I guess I'll see you in the morning then"  
"Guess so... Goodnight Charles" 

***

He couldn't help feeling that what he was doing was wrong, spurred by his feelings of jealousy mixed with protectiveness but ever since that day he'd accidentally witnessed Charles jerking off in his room, his feelings for his friend had completely shifted. He'd already accepted that he may have had a little crush on him but now that crush had evolved to lust and love.  
So whenever Charles took his leave, disappearing into the night to return later with a random hook-up, Hank would sneak into the study and sit in the dark by the window to observe the interaction. He'd watch them make their way inside then he would remain hidden in the shadows until they'd head upstairs to Charles's room.

Sometimes they didn't make it that far. Charles always believed Hank to be in his lab so he never took any precautions. Hank witnessed several harried encounters, including one man who fucked Charles on the table and another who took him on the staircase. He'd told himself to look away but he never did; he simply couldn't take his eyes off Charles.  
If the Professor ever got his powers back, Hank would have a lot of explaining to do in regards to what was going on inside his mind these days.

It had been weeks since their night out and Charles had brought several more men back to the mansion. There didn't appear to be a pattern, well none that Hank could see. He went out on different days and at different times, the men he brought home ranged in different ages and ethnicities. Hank did find it amusing how each man would attempt to kiss Charles but every one of them had their advances rejected.  
Sure Charles allowed them to kiss his neck, his fingers, his nipples, but he refused to let any of them kiss his lips. Hank had to admire Charles' ability to uphold his stance despite every single one of his perspective partners trying to make him change his mind.

It was a night like any other, Hank was waiting in the study for a glimpse of Charles' latest hook up when the front door opened and the two men stepped into the entryway. The other man was much taller than Charles, very well built with a heavy jaw. There was an air about him that Hank instantly disliked.  
He moved towards the doorway, remaining hidden in the shadows and watched as the stranger wrapped his arms around Charles, pulling him into a firm embrace. He leaned down to kiss him but Charles immediately turned his head. 

"Please?" Charles was very polite. "I was serious when I stated I did not wish to be kissed"  
The man chuckled, raised his other hand and ran his thumb across Charles' mouth.  
"I thought you were just playing hard to get" the man said to him.  
"I assure you not. Please, do not attempt it again or I will have to ask you to leave"  
"But we've barely gotten started"  
"Just... Do as I've asked and we can still have a good time"  
"So do you live alone here?"  
"Oh no I have a friend who lives here too, most likely out or busy..."

Charles turned and raised his voice, shouting out Hank's name. But he didn't respond; he didn't want Charles to know he was actually spying on him.

"He must be out" Charles said with a shrug of his shoulders.  
"So we're completely alone here?"  
"Why do you ask?"  
He wrapped his arms around Charles, pulled him close and said, quite loudly "because I can't wait to slam my cock in your ass so hard that you can't help screaming my name"  
Charles swallowed somewhat nervously. They all promised to ride him hard but so far none had really delivered, secretly he wanted to not be able to walk the following day... From being ridden too hard, not from the other reason he'd spent years in a wheelchair.

He felt himself surrendering to the taller man's touch as he was spun around and leaned back into the large, warm body behind him.  
"Wait" Charles whispered as the man brushed his hair aside and began kissing his neck. "What... What's your name again?"  
"Doesn't matter" he replied. "Tonight is about being anonymous and having a good time"  
Charles sighed. He really liked the sound of that.

The lips teasing his neck were soft yet methodical and the hands touching his body were large, long fingers brushed his nipple through his shirt and he groaned.   
Was it going to be this slow all night?  
As though reading his thoughts, the stranger holding him propelled him forward and pushed him facedown onto the table. He kept one had at the base of Charles's neck while his other trailed down his back to the waistband of his pants. He tugged them down just far enough to expose the firm white cheeks.

"I should take you right here" he murmured to Charles. "Bet no one's ever done that before"  
"Uh" Charles wasn't sure if he should lie or not.  
"Oh, never mind then"  
He didn't sound disappointed though as he began to massage the pert ass cheeks. Charles winced when the man playfully slapped him.

Hank had seen enough yet he didn't move, afraid to make a sound and alert the two men in the other room of his presence. So he stayed put, just watching their interaction. His eyes followed the movements of the stranger’s hands as they touched Charles in such an intimate way. He watched as those long fingers pressed inside his crack and Charles moaned in appreciation.  
He closed his hand into a fist but told himself to remain calm. The last thing he needed was for the beast side of him to take control. The man dropped to his knees and began kissing Charles' ass cheeks as he worked his finger in and out of the smaller man.

"Oh god" Charles panted. "Yes... Yes... Please, please"  
The sound cut through him like a knife more so when the man stood back up, spun Charles around and kissed him firmly on the lips. For the briefest moment, Charles leaned into the embrace, welcoming it, returning it before remembering himself and pulling away. He stared up at the man.

"I said... No kissing" Charles insisted.  
"Can't you make an exception? Just this once?"  
He reached down and cupped the younger man's balls, rubbing them almost affectionately.  
"No... I... No... Maybe"

Hank watched as Charles threw his arms around the man's neck then moved up to meet him halfway. Their lips came together in a deep kiss. The man hoisted Charles into his arms as they kissed. He broke away just long enough to ask which way to the bedroom.  
They disappeared up the stairs, leaving Hank in a state of jealous confusion. It was taking all of his willpower not to follow them up the stairs and forcibly remove the stranger from his home and from Charles.

His beastly instincts were close to the surface now to the point he could hear the murmuring from up the stairs so he trudged across the hall and into the kitchen, intending to block the noises he could just barely hear.  
He was still too close so he moved further into the house and down towards his lab. It was practically soundproof so he wouldn't have to hear Charles in the throes of passion or anything else that was like a dagger through his heart.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning:
> 
> This chapter involves a rather graphic attempted assault scene

Charles led the way towards his bedroom and felt himself being lowered onto the mattress. They had barely separated to draw breath, Charles having lost himself in the intoxicatingly lustful taste of the other man's mouth.   
He now realized his mistake in not allowing any of his former bed mates to kiss him. He'd told himself that it wasn't about the intimacy, that it was only ever his intention to get off but kissing only heightened his arousal.

Charles reached for the other man's shirt and pulled it off over his head.  
"Tell me your name" Charles murmured. "Please?"  
He'd never really cared for names but it felt wrong not to know the name of the person whose tongue was currently exploring his mouth.  
"Call me whatever you want" he replied.  
"Why won't you tell me your name?"  
"I like to be mysterious"

Charles decided to drop the subject for good. He'd log this in his book as Mr. Mysterious, the man with an exceptionally talented tongue. That tongue was currently suckling on his nipple as his skilled fingers rubbed at Charles' hardening cock.  
"Please?" Charles moaned.  
"Please what?"  
"Suck me"

Mr. Mysterious chuckled to himself as he slid down Charles's body. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small object which he held up so show the smaller man.  
"May I?" He asked.  
Charles looked up, his eyes moving from the item to the man's face and back again. There was a nervous hesitation in his eyes.  
"Just... Trust me"

These words did little to reassure him. Charles didn't know this man so he had no reason to trust him at all but it was merely a simple cock ring and it wasn't as though he'd never worn one before.  
He didn't speak but nodded his consent. He felt the ring slipping into place before his cock was engulfed by a warm, moist mouth. Charles cried out with delight as he bucked his hips.

It went on for a long, long time. Charles was begging and pleading for release yet the other man just kept going and going. It was the best blowjob he'd had in years; he wanted to come but wanted it to go on forever at the same time. He completely lost himself in the sensation of having his cock hungrily sucked while two thick fingers scissored inside him. He wondered where this mysterious stranger had been hiding for all these months, if Charles had picked him up sooner then he may not have gone looking for anyone else, this experience alone was better than his last ten encounters combined.

"So good" he panted. "Sooooo good! Please, please!"

He heard the man chuckle as his cock slipped from his mouth. The sound sent an excited shiver down Charles's spine.  
"Fuck me" he begged. "Please?"  
Charles was practically purring with want, need, desire. He wanted this man to ride him hard and deep, to really pound him into the mattress.

His cock was throbbing as he was stripped of the remainder of his clothing. Charles was left on his bed, staring into the lustful eyes of this mystery man, completely naked aside from the cock ring tied securely to his bulging balls.  
"Please?" He begged. Under other circumstances he'd be horrified by the desperate tone of his voice... But all thoughts of embarrassment vanished the second he felt the large, hard cock sliding into him.

"Ohhhhh... Yesssss" Charles cried.  
He reached out, hands flailing about to grab this man and pull him close for a deep, desperate kiss.  
It felt so good!   
Their bodies were so perfectly in sync that Charles felt he could have come five times by now if it weren't for the ring restraining him. Tears formed in his eyes as they thrust together.  
"Ohhhh.... Ohhhhh...."   
Charles moaned as he reached down between their bodies to pump his own cock. A hand closed over his and he threw his head back in delight. He wanted to come, needed to come.  
"Please? Please?"

Their lips came together in a deep tongue filled kiss as Mr. Mysterious continued to slam his cock deep inside Charles, over and over again. It was everything Charles had been craving all these months; no other fuck had even come close to this.  
He wasn't even aware that he was begging, practically sobbing with desperation. The older man had amazing stamina but all too soon, he buried himself deep inside the smaller man and shot his entire load. He reached up and gently brushed Charles' hair from his face as the younger man panted for breath.

"Your ass is so tight" he whispered. "So damn perfect... I could ride you all night"  
Charles whimpered at the thought. He winced as the cock slipped free of his ass and the older man slid off the bed. Charles nodded towards the bedside table and the box of tissues. Mr Mysterious plucked a tissue from the box and wiped his cock clean. 

Charles closed his eyes waiting for his heart rate to return to normal. The older man leaned down and kissed him deeply. As they kissed, Charles brought his arms up to wrap them around his neck. He was so lost in the onslaught of kisses that he didn't notice what the man was doing with his hands... he wasn't even aware he was being restrained until it was too late.  
The older man pulled away and gazed down at Charles. His lips were red and pouting, staring up at him from beneath his lashes.

"You're so..." He began. "Desperate"  
"Wait, what?" Charles asked. He tried to sit up but he couldn't. "What are you doing?"  
"Just having fun"

An uneasy feeling began to form in the pit of his stomach. He did not like being tied up, not even that one time he'd tried it with Erik. Fortunately his lover had released him the second Charles had shown even a hint of hesitation.

"Untie me at once" Charles stated.  
"Now where's the fun in that?"  
He tried again to sit up but the man pushed him down and stole another kiss.  
"That's enough!" Charles insisted. "Now untie me!"  
The man laughed at him as he looked around for something to use as a gag but gave up.  
"I was going to gag you but you did assure me that we were alone and can be as loud as we want"  
"No, now please untie me!"

"Oh, would you look at that?"  
Charles saw him reach for something at the head of the bed. It was a sleep mask, he used it mostly for sleeping during the day. The man picked it up and slipped it over Charles's head, covering his eyes.  
The panic set in and he struggled harder. He couldn't move, couldn't see but he could speak. He took a deep breath, preparing to call out in the hopes that Hank might hear him. Before he could make a sound, something was shoved into his mouth, effectively silencing him.

"All this hard work has made me thirsty, I could definitely use a drink" Mr Mysterious said to Charles. "Now you just wait right here and I'll be back in but a moment"

Charles tried to argue but he couldn't speak, could barely move. He heard the patter of the man’s feet as he slipped out of the room. He threw his head back in anger and frustration as he tried to free his hands. Was he just messing with him? Playing some kind of game? Or was Hank right, and this was an elaborate way to rob the place?  
He wasn't sure what to do. There was a chance that Hank had come home and would come check on him but that wasn't likely, not if the younger man knew Charles was 'entertaining company'.  
The minutes slowly ticked by, he struggled against his bindings the entire time until he heard footsteps in the hallway. Multiple footsteps. Had Hank come up after all?

"Hank?" Charles called but his voice was completely muffled by his makeshift gag.  
The footsteps grew louder and Charles swallowed hard as more than one set of footprints moved into the room.  
"I'm back" the now familiar voice of Mr Mysterious greeted him. "Did you miss me?"  
Charles's only response was to struggle against his bonds.

"You weren't kidding" an unfamiliar voice breathed. "He's perfect"  
"I told you... See, Charles, now it's really a party" he said to the restrained man. "Oh wait, no you can't see so it'll be more of a surprise for you"

Charles felt a rush of panic shoot through him as he sensed the three men moving closer to the bed. He instantly started to violently struggle. With his powers, he'd tell them to just leave and never come back and he'd safely know they never would.

"I see you got him all ready for us" another voice said.  
"You bet I did" Mr. Mysterious replied. "His ass was just begging for it, oh wait that was his mouth"

Suddenly the gag slipped away and a pair of lips closed over his. It was Mr Mysterious laying claim on him.  
"That's enough, now untie me!" Charles insisted once the kiss was broken.  
"Not until we've all had our fill" Mr. Mysterious smirked.  
"You had your fun, just untie me and leave"  
"Why would we give up a prize as stunning as you? You said yourself, we're alone and..." He knelt by Charles's head, reached out and stroked his cheek. "You were very keen on the idea of me fucking you all night"

There was movement at the edge of the bed as one of the other men moved closer, reached out a hand and grasped Charles's hard cock. He began pumping his fist despite the protests of the restrained man.  
"Stop this!" Charles insisted. "Stop this now!"  
"I understand you had to tie him up but did you have to tie him to the bed?" He asked.  
"Thought you'd appreciate having unrestricted access"  
"But what if we all want to fuck him at the same time?"

"No!" Charles cried. "Please, no!"

The three men completely ignored Charles's objections.  
"I think we should move him" a voice suggested. "Maybe away from the bed, I wanna fuck that pretty mouth of his while Seb fucks his ass"  
"I like the sound of that, Joe" the one touching Charles agreed.  
"But how do we move him? If we untie him, he'll try to get away"

"Of course I bloody will" Charles snapped. "You are trespassing in my home, if you do not stop then I will call the police"

All three of his assailants laughed. Seb laughed loudest of them all.  
"I got this; you both untie him and be ready"  
He tugged at Charles's aching balls which caused the bound man to cry out. He wanted to be ready, to try to get away the second the untied him but he was instantly distracted by a warm mouth closing over his rock hard cock.  
"No!" He cried.

His body was tingling, his cock throbbing. He still desperately wanted to come but not like this. Tears prickled his eyes. He felt his restraints loosen but only long enough for the two men to sit him up and affix his hands behind his back. He knew he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of this nor would he successfully fight it out either.   
He only had two options... To sit back, let this happen and hope they would grow bored quickly and leave soon after or scream for help and hope that Hank could hear him.

He felt the mouth vanish but his relief was short lived as he was suddenly, violently, yanked off the bed. Had one of them not been holding him, he would have landed face first on the hard floor. Two sets of hands grabbed him and he was tugged across the room. Someone pushed him onto his knees and he got his bearings when he landed on the carpeted mat.

"Open wide" a voice hissed in his ear.  
"Please, don't do this!"  
Charles tried one more time to plead with the men but his words were cut short by someone forcing his cock into Charles's mouth. His assailant thrust his hips very enthusiastically to the point that Charles feared he was going to choke. Someone else pulled at his hair and he gasped in pain, releasing the cock only to have another instantly take its place. He could feel a hand at the base of his neck, fingers curling in his hair but not forcibly holding him in place... The hand on his shoulder was doing that.

"Are you ready?"   
The voice that he only moments ago thought sounded so mysterious and arousing was right next to his ear, sending chills down his spine. "I can't wait to see how beautiful you look with a cock in your mouth and ass at the same time"

Hearing the words made him feel sick to his stomach. He wondered if they would stop if he vomited on them. The tears that prickled his eyes were now rolling down his cheeks, unabsorbed by the blindfold. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so helpless.  
"If you're a good boy, we might even remove the blindfold" the voice continued. "But it'll depend on how well behaved you are"

Charles lashed out by biting down on the cock in his mouth. The man cried out in pain which made Charles smile. His triumph was short lived as he was slapped across the face; hard. His body was being supported so he barely stumbled. A hand clamped over his mouth to stop him speaking.  
He was desperate; he had no other options left. He struggled valiantly to get away from the men holding him, he'd used his only weapon and it hadn't paid off. His heart was still pounding frantically as he struggled to free himself.

"There's no point fighting this" the voice tickled his ear. "You enjoyed riding my cock, now you can enjoy all of theirs too"  
"No" Charles scream was muffled by the hand. It disappeared but was, once again replaced with a large, hard cock.   
He had no idea how many men were in the room, what they intended to do to him or for how long. He needed to come up with a plan but with the cock in his mouth and the hand tugging at his own erection, he was finding it difficult to think straight.

Someone pulled at his hair, hard, and he winced in pain. He could feel one cock being pressed against his cheek and another, already dripping with precum, being rubbed over his lips. Any second now it was going to be forced into his mouth.  
Charles knew he had one last shot. In a final, desperate bid, he threw his head back and prepared to scream as loud as he could.

***

Hank had been in his lab for quite some time yet he'd barely gotten any work done. His calculations just wouldn't add up no matter how many times he ran them. Any type of equipment he picked up appeared to instantly break in his hands. He even tried to aimlessly doodle on a scrap of paper but after ten minutes all he had to show for it was a very rough sketch of Charles and a broken pencil.  
He knew he couldn't stay hidden away all night but he had no idea how long this latest visitor would stay. From his enthusiasm in the entryway, Hank would like to think it had been over in the blink of an eye and the man was long gone. But Hank had taken an instant dislike to him the second he'd laid eyes on him which likely meant he'd stay all night... For some odd reason, the ones he hated the most were the ones Charles kept longer.

He got up and left the lab, into the elevator and up to the ground floor. He really needed a refrigerator down there. Hank went into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of water. If he put very little effort in then he'd be able to hear upstairs and would know if Charles was still 'entertaining'... But should he do it? Was it wrong to spy on his friend, even out of concern for his wellbeing?  
He moved into the entryway and peered out the front window. An unfamiliar car was parked in the drive. A sigh parted his lips. The guy was still here, still upstairs, still doing... Charles.

The jealousy inside him began to bubble into anger. Charles was a grown man, living his own life, Hank needed to keep his own emotions in check. He turned, resisting the urge to go outside and damage the parked car.  
A noise from above piqued his attention and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Closing his eyes, he took a deep whiff of the air around him and froze in shock. There were other people in the house, he could sense them... Were they in the midst of being robbed while Charles was busy?

Then he heard it. The unmistakeable cry of help from Charles. Hank raced up the stairs, shifting into his Beast form as he made his way to Charles's room. The door was open and he could hear multiple voices coming from inside. The air was rank with the smell of sex but he could sense other feelings... Elation, arousal, excitement and fear.  
The anger inside him pushed closer to the surface as he stepped into the doorway and saw what was happening inside the room.

It took him .3 of a second to take in the sight of Charles, naked, bound and blindfolded, begging for them to stop. One man was holding Charles as the other two took turns shoving their cocks into his mouth. The fourth man, the one Hank had seen downstairs, was standing back and watching Charles's ordeal with a nasty smirk on his face.  
Hank surrendered to his feelings of anger and lost himself completely to his beastly side. He stood blocking the doorway as he let out a loud, terrifying beastly cry.

He leapt into the room in a violent fit of rage, launching himself at the nearest man. Beast grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and threw him across the room; he impacted with the wall and collapsed on the floor, whimpering at the pain shooting through his arm.  
He turned to the other three; his fist closed around the throat of the one who had been holding Charles. He kicked the other who fell down without hesitation and pressed his foot into his throat. The one on the floor plunged a knife into Beast's leg, deep enough for him to attempt an escape.  
Beast reached for him, dragging both across the room towards the open door. The previously injured man had already dragged himself from the room and out into the hallway.

"Stop!"  
Beast knew it wasn't Charles who had spoken; he turned around, still keeping a strong grasp on both men. He could so easily snap both their necks, a very tempting urge.  
The man who had obviously started all this was holding Charles in his arms, the knife that had been used to hurt Beast was in his hand and he was pressing it to Charles's throat.  
Before his eyes, Beast watched as the knife changed shape and grew bigger until it was almost the size of a cleaver.

"You..." He began. "You're a mutant?"  
He couldn't quite believe it yet it explained why this man wasn't as terrified of Beast as the other men were.  
"I see you are too" he replied as he moved the knife closer to Charles's skin.  
"Hank?" Charles sounded so... Un-Charles-like.

"Let him go!" Beast instructed the man.  
"Us first! You let us walk out of here and I won't hurt him... Anymore"  
"Your powers..."  
"Impressive, aren't they?"

Beast didn't know what to say. In all honesty, he was absolutely fascinated and knew under other circumstances that Charles would have been too. He stared at the blade, so very close to his friend's neck, and found himself surrendering. Beast slowly released each man, first one then the other. Both made a hasty beeline for the door. He heard them stop to collect their injured friend before pounding down the staircase.  
Now it was just the two of them to face off, with the bound and blindfolded Charles between them. He was reminded of the old western films when two men would have a shootout in the Main Street, each vying for the love of the beautiful woman on the sidelines... Beast was determined to win this prize.

The suave mutant continued to stare at him. He reached down, running his hand down Charles's naked chest to grasp his cock. A simple flick of his wrist and the bound man gave an involuntary whimper. A couple of quick tugs on the hard shaft and Charles came with a defeated sob. Beast growled in anger but didn't move for the man was still holding the knife. He did not want to risk the knife accidentally hurting Charles.

"Now you're just going to let me go, yes?" He asked Beast. "I'm going to walk out that door and you're going to let me?"  
"As long as you don't stick that knife anywhere you shouldn't"

It was a poor choice of words.  
The man pulled Charles to his feet and, with the knife still at his throat, marched him across the room. He instructed Beast to move aside. Once by the open door, he stepped into the hall, still using Charles as a human shield.  
Then Beast watched as the knife once again began to change its shape. How he was doing it, he couldn't even begin to understand. But the knife completely changed its size and shape until it was smaller, roundish and not sharp at all.  
The man reached down between their bodies, shoved the newly formed item inside Charles who screamed at the unexpected intrusion. He then shoved the bound man forward before turning on his heel and running down the hall to the stairs.

Beast caught Charles in his arms but his first instinct was to chase the man responsible and bash his head against the floor.  
"Hank?"   
Charles's desperate sob was what kept him there, the only thing stopping him from going after those men and ripping them apart.  
"I've got you, Charles" Beast attempted to soothe him. "I'm here, I've got you"

He was big, furry and awkward as he held Charles in his arms. He shifted and reached up to remove the blindfold. His friend’s eyes were squeezed shut but tears trickled down his cheeks from under his lids. It broke Hank's heart to see Charles like that. The older man leaned forward, burying his face in Beast's chest. He reached around and attempted to untie his friend but he couldn't find a knot in the ties.

"Charles, I..." He spoke very softly. "I'm trying to untie you but I can't see how he did it so I'm just going to move a little"  
Charles nodded his head but kept his eyes closed, still wincing slightly.  
Beast lifted Charles into his arms and carried him towards the bed then laid him on his side. His hands were fixed tight behind his back. Beast eyed the ties closely. The sick twisted mutant really did have a fascinating power.  
He reached out and traced the entire tie with his fingers, looking for a knot but there was nothing. He didn't want to hurt Charles but he knew he could easily break it.

"I got this" he said to Charles. "Just... Bear with me"  
He wrapped his fingers around it and yanked hard, snapping the tie and freeing Charles's wrists.  
"I fear you may have to do that again... Elsewhere" Charles said very, very quietly.  
"Charles?"

The older man finally opened his eyes. He rolled over and looked up at his friend with silent tears running down his cheeks. As Beast reached out to wipe the tears away, his form changed back into himself. When Hank's finger brushed Charles's cheek, the older man flinched. He didn't take it personally.  
He kept his focus on Charles's face even though, out the corner of his eye, he could see the older man reaching down between his legs. He winced more than once but was able to remove the first offending item. Charles closed his fist around the ring, trying his best not to look at it, before throwing it across the room.

"Charles?" Hank started easy. "What can I do?"  
"Leave"  
He thought he misheard him.  
"Charles?"  
"Just go... I... I need to be alone"  
"I don't know if that's such a good idea"  
"Please, Hank? I... I don't want you to see me like this"  
"It's a bit late for that" Hank meant to sound light-hearted, that he didn't care what state Charles was in... He just wanted to stay and be close to him.  
"I know" he sounded so defeated "but please Hank?"  
"I really don't think you should be alone right now; please let me help you... Help you clean up and..." He trailed off and paused for a moment. "I... I'll be right back, Charles"

Hank took off. He raced down the stairs and locked the front door, peering out the window to make sure the men were gone before hurrying into the kitchen. Once back upstairs, he went into the bathroom and rinsed a towel in the sink.  
By the time he returned, Charles was curled in a ball, hugging himself tightly. Hank moved across the room towards the bed, his foot accidentally kicked something metal and he looked to see what it was. He winced.  
Charles saw the look on his face.

"I have no idea where that came from" Charles said to him.  
"He... Made it"  
"How?"  
"From a knife" Hank knelt beside the bed and placed the bottle of water he'd taken from the kitchen on the side table. "He had powers and could manipulate things, turn them into something else... I think he did it when he tied your hands… and that's why I couldn't get the thing undone"  
Charles nodded his head in understanding.  
"It was kind of fascinating; I mean if he used his powers to help people instead of... I could use an ability like that for my work in my lab"  
Charles nodded again and Hank wondered if his friend was even really listening to him, not that he could blame him if he wasn't. He reached out with the damp towel and very gently touched the fabric to Charles's face, wiping the tears from his cheek.

The older man barely moved until he lifted his hand and grasped Hank's wrist. They both paused and stared into each other's eyes. Charles reflecting pain and defeat, Hank merely filled with concern and understanding.  
Charles swallowed hard and spoke very softly.  
"I... I need to... shower"  
"Sure"

But Charles didn't attempt to get up, he barely moved at all aside from releasing Hank's wrist. The young scientist gazed down at his friend, unsure of what he was supposed to do for him. He didn't think about it as he reached out, slid his hands under Charles and picked him up. A part of him expected the other man to fight or flinch but there was no movement at all. It tugged at his heart.  
Hank carried his friend down the hall to the bathroom. The door was already open so he walked in and gently eased Charles down until he was standing on the tiles. He reached out and turned the light on.  
They stared at each other for a long moment. Hank wondered if he was being too careful, too over-the-top with his treatment of Charles but he didn't know what else to do.

"I'll be close by if you need me, okay?" He spoke very softly. Charles merely nodded his head in understanding so Hank turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Once in the hall, he stopped and leaned back against the closed door. Hank told himself to stay calm but he could feel the anger inside him building. He moved back to Charles's room, went inside and surveyed the mess.   
He heard the running water of the shower and decided not to waste time. Hank reached for a pillow, pulled off the case and moved about the room shoving the discarded clothing of Charles's attackers inside. Once again his foot knocked the small, crudely made item. He scooped it up and threw it inside the pillowcase before picking up a t-shirt. 

Under other circumstances Hank probably would have found it funny, the mental image of the men running from the house with their pants around their ankles... The thought caused his stomach to churn. He didn't understand how this could happen, what could have possessed these men to do something like this. Once again, the anger inside him began to fester and he felt his body changing, growing, as his beastly side began to emerge.

He kicked the now full pillowcase under Charles's bed, intending to collect and destroy it later then he returned to the hall and began to pace back and forth. As he listened to the sound of the running water, his anger continued to grow. He was furious that something like this had happened.  
What if he had stayed in his lab all night? How long would they have stayed, what else would they have done to Charles? Why had he not checked on him sooner? What if Hank had decided to go out and hadn't come home in time to stop them?

For the first time since seeing Charles in distress, Hank stopped moving. He paused in the middle of the hallway and realized the pain he was feeling wasn't only emotional but physical too. He looked down and saw a trail of blood trickling down his leg.  
He stepped aside, his back against the wall as he sank down to the floor. Hank tore the leg of his pants to expose the cut but couldn't really assess the damage while in this beastly form.   
His heart was racing with so many feelings and emotions. His leg was throbbing and he knew he would have to treat it but he didn't want to move, he had to be here for Charles. 

He closed his hands into fists, wishing he'd done more to help. Why had he just let those men leave? He should have done more, made them suffer the consequences of their nasty and cruel actions. Perhaps in his current state Charles had been an easy mark but that was no excuse for what they had done.  
Hank closed his eyes and leaned back, his head resting upon the wall as his mind replayed everything he'd seen. Charles, bound and blindfolded, completely at the mercy of his attackers... He cried out in frustration and slammed his closed fist into the wall beside him. The sudden action sent a wave of pain through him so he didn't do it again.

He was still sitting on the floor, festering in a mix of anger and sadness when the bathroom door opened.   
Charles stepped into the hall, a towel around his waist and another draped around his neck. He stopped and looked down at his big, blue friend before sinking down beside him. With a trembling hand, he reached out and took hold of Beast's large furry fingers.

"Thank you, Hank" Charles whispered very softly as he stared at their entwined fingers. "Thank you for stopping them"

Beast looked up, staring at Charles's down turned face. He wasn't sure what to say so he reached up with his free hand and very carefully slid his arm behind his friends shoulder. The smaller man leaned into him and Beast gently pulled Charles towards him, holding him very close.

"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner" he admitted.  
"Don't be" Charles replied in a deadpan voice. "It wasn't your fault"  
"It wasn't yours either"  
"Yes it was, it was entirely my fault"


	5. Chapter 5

Hank didn't sleep much that night, not due to the pain in his leg but more because he was not used to sharing his bed. He awoke from a very brief, restless sleep and instantly remembered he was not alone. His large, furry arm was currently being used as a pillow so he dare not move from fear of waking Charles. 

It was a most surreal moment for the scientist. Charles was lying beside him, almost on top of him. He stared down at his friend, watching in silent awe as his chest moved with each breath he took.  
The events of the previous night came flooding back to him, how he'd sprung to action to help his friend but had failed to exact revenge upon the men who had hurt him. They had sat in the hall for a long time until Charles had realized Hank was hurt. The two of them then made their way to Hank's room where Charles had cleaned, stitched and dressed the wound. They had been in agreement that while the injury healed, Hank would stop his injections and remain in Beast form to avoid ripping his stitches.

He was very surprised that Charles was still sleeping. The older man had slept pretty well despite the traumatic events of the night before. Hank wasn't looking forward to the inevitable conversation they would have later.   
Hank wanted to get up but he also wanted to remain where he was with Charles practically in his arms. He hated himself for being slightly happy right now, he'd often dreamed of lying like this with his friend but he didn't like to think about the circumstances that had led him here. 

"Hank?"  
Charles sounded groggy, his voice deep and husky. The result of a lot of alcohol in recent months and having just woken up.  
"Morning, Charles" Hank replied.  
"Is it?"  
"Yes, it's almost seven"  
"Seven? AM?"  
"Yes" Hank heard himself chuckle.  
"Why the fuck are you awake so early?"  
"Not used to sharing a bed" he confessed.  
"Oh... I'm sorry" Charles replied.  
"No, don't be sorry, Charles, it's fine"

The older man began to move, started to sit up but Hank reached up and slid his arm around him. He eased Charles back down beside him, his arm wrapped protectively around him. His friend didn't even flinch at being touched which he found a little strange.

"How is your leg?" Charles asked him. "Not uh it didn't keep you awake, did it?"  
"It's... Manageable"

Charles settled beside Hank, his fingers gently brushing against the blue fur on his friends' arm.  
"I'm sorry you got hurt" he said very softly.  
"And I'm sorry you did" Hank replied.  
"Can we please not talk about that?"  
"I feel like we should"  
"But does it have to be right now? I'm not even awake yet"  
"And I barely slept... How you managed to is beyond me"  
"What is that supposed to mean?"

This time Charles not only sat up but he moved away from Hank, staring at his friend with an unreadable expression on his face. Hank remained silent just staring at him. Charles looked so small, especially since he was wearing a set of Hank's pyjamas which were much too big for him. 

"I'm sorry, Charles, but what happened last night was... Traumatic for both of us" Hank explained.  
"So you're saying something is wrong with me because I'm not as affected as you are?"  
"That's not what I'm saying at all!"

Charles slid off the bed and moved around the foot, heading towards the door.  
"I don't wish to talk about it or think about it or dream about it" Charles stated.  
"Charles-"  
"I am sorry that you were injured in trying to help me last night and I think you should rest your leg today. Do not exert yourself or you may tear the stitches... I'm not certain I did the best job in fixing your wound"  
"Charles, please don't walk away"  
"I'll come check on you in a little while, I can burn some toast for you"  
"Charles!"

But the older man simply continued making his way to the door. He opened it and stepped into the hall.  
"I truly am grateful for your actions, Hank but I do not wish to relive the memories, not right now"  
With his words lingering in the air, Charles disappeared from sight and no matter how loud Hank called out, he didn't come back.

*

It was quite some time later when Hank heard movement out in the hall. He pulled himself into a sitting position, already determined not to rest his injured leg much longer. When Charles appeared in the doorway, he was holding a tray in his arms.

"I told you I could burn some toast" Charles began. "Though it's actually not very burnt at all"

Hank held back a smile as Charles moved towards him and placed the tray on the bed. The older man then climbed onto the bed himself and settled beside his big blue friend. His first instinct was to apologize for earlier but Charles seemed content to ignore it so he chose to too.

"Did you need anything for your leg?" Charles asked him. "I can get you something"  
"It's okay" Hank said as he shook his head. "It wasn't so bad. I'm sure it'll be fine in a couple of days"  
"And you're okay with... Staying like this for that time?"  
Hank shrugged his shoulders as he reached for the tray and slid it closer to himself.  
"It is what it is" he said.

"I really am sorry you got hurt" Charles blurted.  
"I know you are" Hank replied. "But it wasn't your fault"  
"I invited him into our home, if I hadn't've done that-"  
"You weren't to know that he had... Had an entourage"  
Charles sighed and averted his eyes.

"I'm sorry I snapped earlier but I can't stop thinking about it" he confessed.  
"I just wish I gotten to you sooner" Hank said. "I keep imagining what might have happened if I hadn't been there"  
"Me too... I mean, I keep imaging it too" he paused. "It's not exactly difficult though as they were very descriptive in what they intended to do with me"  
"I'm sorry, Charles"

Hank reached out and placed his large furry hand upon Charles's knee. He was once again surprised that his friend didn't flinch at his touch.  
Charles responded by placing his own hand atop of Hank's. He stared down at his fingers as he spoke.  
"I keep wondering what might have happened if he had've just told me"  
"Told you what?"  
"That he wasn't alone"  
"Charles?" Hank didn't understand what his friend was saying.

The smaller man slowly moved away, sliding up the bed and resting his back against the large mahogany bed head. Hank allowed his hand to fall listlessly onto the mattress and didn't try to maintain physical contact with Charles.  
His friend looked so tiny on the large bed, his legs tucked under himself. It didn't help that he was still wearing Hank's clothes which were much too big for him.

"I'm a mess, Hank" Charles confessed.  
"Charles-" Hank started to say but was quickly cut off.  
"If they'd given me a choice... I might have said yes"

Hank felt his own stomach churn at Charles's words. He thought he'd misheard him. It simply couldn't be true; Charles would never subject himself to something like that.  
"Charles" he could hear the disgust in his own voice. "You can't possibly mean that"  
"I was enjoying myself, Hank, he was... Something about him just made me lower my defences and, fuck, I was smitten... I was also a bit drunk, we'd been drinking earlier and I was a bit... Inhibited" he sighed. "I would have been up for nearly anything but he didn't give me a choice... If I'd had time to think about it and consent..."

"You can't be serious, Charles!" Hank really couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
"Maybe I am"  
"No, that's not you, Charles... You're not a...." He paused, mid-sentence.  
"Not a what, Hank?"

Hank didn't like how this conversation was going. He instantly wanted to take back the words he had already said but Charles was staring at him with such a hard gaze that he could barely speak.  
"Charles, I just meant-"  
"You can say it, Hank" his voice rose as he spoke.

Charles climbed off the bed, still staring into Hank's eyes. There was a blazing anger in Charles's intense eyes but Hank could also see the pain.  
"Say it!" He shouted at his friend.  
"Charles... I..."  
"Or are you just going to sit there, thinking to yourself that I deserved this? That I've been whoring myself all over town for weeks so karma was due?"  
"That's not it!" Hank yelled back. In his beast form, he sounded much louder and angrier than he actually felt. "That's not it at all! But if any of them had seen what you were doing then of course they would assume you were a desperate slut"

Tears instantly filled Charles's deep, pain filled eyes as Hank's statement cut through him. He'd pushed for it, had wanted to see if his friend would go there but hearing Hank call him a slut hurt worse than he thought it would.  
He didn't react in any way, just stood in the middle of the room with tears brimming in his eyes.

Realistically, if given the option, he knew he likely wouldn't have said yes. Yet the results probably would have still been the same, with them overpowering him and going ahead with it. Charles felt sick just thinking about it but Hank did have a valid point. Charles had never made a secret of his actions and often frequented the same bars or parks in search of his latest hook-up.  
But, deep down, he hated himself for he knew it had always been a secret fantasy of his, to have multiple sexual partners at once. Some nights he had even contemplated the idea of bringing more than one man home with him but the right ones had never come along.   
On one occasion, a lifetime ago, he and Erik had almost brought a third party in to join them but at the last minute, Erik had been the one to back out after realizing that he did not wish to share Charles with anyone else. The sentiment alone had pushed all other thoughts from Charles's mind and he'd not thought of a three way again the entire time he was with Erik.

Hank pushed the tray aside and carefully climbed off the bed. He winced as he put weight on his injured leg and walked towards Charles. The smaller man just stared at him with tears in his eyes.  
"I'm sorry, Charles" Hank said to him. His voice was still gruff yet sounded much gentler now "But I worry about you and how you've been acting. This isn't like you; you're the most kind, compassionate, loyal person I've ever met... Seeing you with one nameless stranger after another, it just doesn't feel right... But last night... That shouldn't have happened, you're the last person on this earth that deserves to be treated like that"

As he spoke, he reached out and wrapped his arms around his friend. Charles allowed himself to be swept up in Hank's large embrace. His fur felt ticklish upon Charles's skin but he drew comfort from his friends touch.

"You were right, Hank" Charles whispered.   
"I don't want to be" Hank replied.  
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do, how to forget about this and how to move on"  
"One day at a time, Charles, and remember that I'm here for you... Day and night, I will always be here for you"  
"You're a great friend, Hank, I don't deserve you"

Beast closed his eyes as he held Charles against his chest. In his mind, he knew Charles deserved better than he'd been dealt, he deserved the world... If only Hank could be the world to him, like Charles was for him. His leg was aching but he ignored it, Charles was in his arms and that's exactly where he wanted him to stay. Not just for the time being but for all the time to come. 

*****

Hank spent the day in his room, resting his leg in hopes that it would heal quickly. He had a book on hand so he propped himself up on a mountain of pillows and silently read to himself. It was no easy task to turn the pages with his large, blue fingers and he grew very impatient as the day progressed.

Charles was a completely different story. After his initial upset, the older man had settled down on Hank's bed and curled up beside his friend. He seemed content to just be near him but not physically touching. Charles drifted in and out of sleep for several hours until he eventually excused himself and left the room.  
By the time Hank went to look for him, Charles had downed more than half a bottle of scotch and angrily destroyed half the furniture of the disused room.

Beast had little choice but to escort his friend from the room and back to his own. Charles, once again, broke down in tears but was willing to take comfort in Hank's embrace.

It quickly became routine for them.   
As Hank remained in Beast form and couldn't leave the house, he hoped Charles would run a few errands for him but Charles seemed reluctant to go out. The older man never even opened the front door.  
For several days, Hank looked like a Beast and rested his leg while Charles see-sawed between wanting to be left alone and drawing comfort in having someone nearby. He could spend hours alone only to come running to Hank's room at all hours of the day and night. If not for the awful circumstances, Hank would have been blissfully happy at waking up each morning to find Charles in his bed.

He left it as long as he could. Then, one day, after they had finished eating lunch and were sitting together in Hank's lab, Charles was doing a lot of the work under Hank's instructions, the young scientist finally started to ask questions... Questions he should have asked days ago, like 'did Charles wish to see a Doctor?'  
His friend was quick to brush the concerns aside, insisting that he was fine and did not wish to seek outside help but Hank was driven by his overwhelming feelings of concern and he pushed too far. Charles snapped very quickly and made a hasty exit from the lab. They didn't see or speak to each other for the rest of the day.

*

The next morning Hank promised himself that he would find Charles and talk to him again but he had a difficult time locating the older man. Charles hadn't spent much time in his own room since the assault and had taken to sleeping in Hank's bed so he was very surprised when he finally tracked him to one of the many, many empty rooms on one of the upper floors. Hank had never been up there before, not in all the years he'd lived in the mansion so it felt weird to him, exploring a section of the large home that he hadn't technically been told he could.  
He had barely set foot in the first room along the hallway when he sensed his friend and heard his quiet sobs. At first he stayed put, despite wanting to run straight to Charles's side. Something was holding him back; Charles must have come up here to be alone, to prevent Hank seeing him in such a state of distress. But he wanted him to know that it was okay, that Charles could let go in front of him. Hank would not blame him in the slightest for needing to let loose right now. The older man had been through quite a traumatic experience, it was only natural that he be dealing with the emotional fallout right now.  
Hank just wished he could do more for his friend then just be a shoulder to cry on... But a shoulder was all Charles wanted right now.

He lingered, listening to the barely audible sobs coming from down the hall. Hank wasn't exactly light on his feet when in Beast form and he wondered if perhaps Charles had heard his approach. Yet the older man did not call out to him so Hank remained frozen to the spot, just listening helplessly to his friend.

"Charles?"  
He heard himself call out and immediately slapped his hand over his mouth in instant regret. Several beats of his heart later and he could only hear silence. He wondered if he should just leave, go back downstairs and pretend he'd never been up here.

"Hank?" the soft reply came from the other room. "Is that you?"  
"Who else would it be?" Hank answered before mentally kicking himself. "I mean... Yes, yes it's me, Charles"  
"What are you doing up here?"  
"Looking for you"  
"Why?"

He felt like he was talking to an empty room which he technically was. Hank moved back into the hall, trying to determine which room his friend was in.  
"Honestly? I wanted to apologize for yesterday" he explained. "I was insensitive and out of line"  
"It wasn't entirely your fault, I over reacted myself"

Hank followed Charles's voice until he came to the open door and spotted his friend on the floor. He stepped into the room but kept his distance.  
"You had every right to react the way you did" Hank reasoned. "I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through, what you're thinking and feeling..."  
"That I bought this upon myself?"  
"What?"  
"It's what you're thinking, isn't it?"  
"I would never think that, Charles"  
"Perhaps not consciously but it's there, buried yet lingering"  
"Why would you think that?"

Hank realized the answer before Charles could respond. It all made sense, why he was up here and far away from Hank, why he was quietly sobbing to himself and sitting on the floor with his leg at an odd angle.

"Charles, what did you do?" Hank asked him as he finally moved closer.  
"I had to" Charles looked up, tears brimming in his eyes. He reached up and rubbed his temples. "It just... I thought if I had my powers, even for just a few moments, I could bury the memories deep inside and not have to worry about them anymore... But as soon as the voices started, I couldn't concentrate through all the noise and the pain..."  
"Charles"  
"I just wanted it to stop but... I... I can't do it and now I can't get up... My legs..."

Without hesitation, Hank crossed the room and sank down beside Charles. He wrapped his arms around his friend and held him close as the older man sobbed. Minutes ticked away in silence as Hank comforted Charles.

"I'll need to go down to my lab" he explained. "I don't have any vials in the house"  
"No!" Charles argued. "I... I can't"  
"Char-"  
"Please I... I can't but I have to"  
"I don't understand"  
"It won't stop, won't help"

Hank pulled away and looked into his friends tear filled eyes. The pain was so clear on his face yet Hank reached up and brushed Charles's hair from his eyes.  
"Charles, tell me what you need" he begged.  
"I need it to stop" Charles cried.

Seeing no other option, Hank slid his arms underneath Charles and climbed to his feet. In his beast form, the weight in his arms was barely noticeable to him. He held Charles close as he carried him from the room, along the hall and down the staircase. Neither of them said a word as Hank made his way down to his lab though he could hear the quiet sobs of the man in his arms.  
Once he reached the lab, Beast set his friend down in one of the chairs then went in search of a vial of the serum. All the while Charles was muttering to himself. Hank couldn't really understand the words he was saying aside from pain, no and too much.

With the needle in hand, Hank moved back towards Charles and stopped just shy of him. He wasn't about to jab it into his skin without his permission but the older man seemed to be having some kind on internal debate.

"Charles" Hank began. "I uh have the injection right here"  
"No" Charles replied. "I don't... I... Please? I can't..."  
"Charles, please talk to me, tell me what's wrong"  
"I can't"  
"Yes, you can"  
"I need the voices to go away but... But... Please!"

His friend was clutching his head, trying to shut all the noise out but it wasn't working. Hank hated seeing Charles in such pain; he didn't know what else to do so he reached out and plunged the needle into his skin.  
The telepath cried out at the shock but he didn't pull away. For the next few moments he sat in the chair, still clutching at his head but he eventually stopped grimacing, the tension in his body slowly ebbed away and when he finally looked up to meet Beast's gaze, there were tears in his eyes.

"Hank" he sobbed. "I... I can't go on like this"  
"Like what, Charles?"  
He had no idea what the older man was talking about.  
"I'm sorry"  
"Don't be sorry, just... Talk to me, please? I... I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong"  
"I can't"  
"Can't what?"  
"Talk to you about this"  
"Why not? Charles, after... after all that we've been through, together, if you can't trust me-"

"No!" Charles reached out and grasped Beast's large, furry hand. He stared up into his friend's altered eyes but could still see Hank staring back at him. The older man blinked away the tears he didn't want to set free as he tried to think of the best way to phrase his words.  
"Of course I trust you, Hank" he insisted. "I don't think I've ever trusted anyone as much as I have you... sometimes I fear I ask too much of you and your friendship"  
"Charles, please, just talk to me, whatever this is, I'm sure we can resolve it"  
"You can't... I can't... but I... I..."

The older man let out a small sob. Beast reached up and gently brushed the tears from his friend’s cheek. He held back a gasp of delight when he felt Charles lean into his touch.  
"I need help" Charles whispered.  
"I'm here, Charles, tell me how to help and I'll do it!"  
The telepath closed his eyes as he shook his head from side to side, pulling away from his friend.  
"Please... I... I'm begging you, I can't help until you tell me how"  
"It... It’s the serum" he blurted out.

Beast frowned, slightly confused.  
"The serum?" He repeated. "You... you want to stop taking it?"  
"No!"  
"You want more? Charles, you know you already take too much... I can't-"  
"No, it... it's not that... it's..." he paused and continued to avert his gaze. "Being able to walk isn't the only side effect"  
"Side effects... Charles, are you sick?"

The older man took a deep breath and very slowly released it. He kept his eyes closed, head down, refusing to look at Hank in embarrassment.  
"I'm not sick... not in the way you might think"  
Beast dropped to his knees and placed his hand on Charles's shoulder in a comforting gesture.  
"Please, just talk to me; you're not making any sense"  
"Taking the serum causes certain stimulation to other parts of my body and..." he couldn't say it.

Hank finally lost it, too frustrated at his friend for beating around the bush. He grabbed the front of Charles's shirt and forced the older man to finally meet his gaze.  
"Charles, what is it doing to you?" He demanded to know. "I can't fix it until you tell me what's wrong"  
"It's an aphrodisiac"  
"Oh" Hank paused as the words sank in and he was able to comprehend exactly what Charles was saying. "Ohhhh... oh!"

Suddenly it all began to fall into place. Charles's erratic behaviour, his constant need to go out and pick up strangers... why he never felt the need to connect with any of them. Hank knew Charles had been using them as a means to and end but he had no idea that was the end he was always trying to reach.

"So you're saying... the reason you've been whoring yourself all over town is because of the serum?" Hank heard himself ask.  
"Yes" he paused. "The more I take, the worse it gets"  
"And if you stop taking it, your powers will-"  
"Can you fix it?" Charles didn't mean to cut him off.  
"I... I don't know"  
"Hank, please?"

The young scientist stared at his friend for a moment as he thought about it. He didn't know what to say.  
"I honestly don't know, Charles" he had to admit. "We both take the same serum and it hasn't affected me in that way... I could try to manipulate the formula but it might affect your powers, no longer keep them dormant"  
"I don't know what to do, Hank... I can't go on like this but I can't stop taking it... I just can't"  
He reached out and placed his hand on Charles's shoulder.  
"I'll see what I can do"  
Charles placed his hand on top of Hank's and gently squeezed it.  
"Thank you, Hank. Thank you"  
"In the meantime, I think you should stop... entertaining guests"  
"I promise, no more visitors" he averted his gaze. "I can't... can't risk something like that happening again"  
"I'm sorry, Charles, I... I had no idea you were... that the serum... I..."  
"It's alright, Hank... it... it'll be alright in time... perhaps... perhaps you'll be able to help"  
"I'll try, Charles, I promise I'll try"


	6. Chapter 6

True to his word, Hank immediately began to work on a new formula for the serum. He spent days researching and calculating until he was finally able to start taking it again himself. Once back in human form he was able to completely immerse himself in his work, not having to rely on someone else to operate equipment for him. With a goal to focus on, he kept himself busy, determined to find a way to help his friend.  
The first few days saw little progress as he often found his mind wandering. He couldn't shake the memory of finding Charles being abused in such a way nor could he ignore the niggling feeling that he was partially to blame. Had it not been for the weird side effects of his serum, Charles never would have...

He ran a lot of tests but was reluctant to reveal his findings to the older man. Since the serum affected them both in different ways he couldn't test it on himself and he didn't want to have to use Charles as a guinea pig. But he eventually had to. When he could put it off no longer, he took his research to his friend and they poured over it together.  
Charles had tried to cut down on the dosages he took but found it almost impossible as his powers always came back first and he would sometimes spend hours curled up, crying in pain, until Hank found and injected him.

Charles was growing worse and becoming more isolated from Hank as the days wore on. It was almost a month before the scientist felt confident in testing out his first attempt at a new serum.   
There were many failed tests. Some actually increased Charles's telepathy while another almost sent him completely off the rails. Hank's most and least favourite was the one that inadvertently became an instant aphrodisiac and actually sent Charles straight into Hank's arms. The older man had kissed him with such intensity that Hank felt he would pass out; Charles had felt awful and instantly apologized before running from the room. He'd then locked himself in one of the rooms and refused to come out until all the side effects had passed.  
It had taken every ounce of Hank's willpower to stop himself from breaking the door down and helping to relive Charles of his burden.

Yet Hank didn't give up. He knew if he worked hard enough he would eventually find the right mix and would be able to help his friend. Despite all the setbacks, he refused to give up. He worked tirelessly, running himself ragged in a desperate bid to fix everything. He knew he could never erase what had happened but he refused to let it happen again, he hated the memory of Charles being hurt and all because the older man had been trying to cope with the peculiar side effects of Hank's serum.

The day finally came when Charles confessed that Hank had done it and the young scientist was finally able to relax. He kept a close eye on his friend but from what he could see, the older man no longer had an elevated sex drive.  
So, for some time, they fell back into their regular habits. Hank continued to work in his lab while Charles... Charles mostly kept up with his drinking. He knew he needed something to focus on, to keep his attention but nothing really seemed to grab him.

One afternoon, Charles was in the kitchen making himself a cup of tea when Hank came in to get a sandwich. It was a large room with plenty of space for both of them to work but Hank inadvertently brushed against Charles and the older man gasped at the sudden contact.

"Charles?" Hank asked. "What is it? What's wrong?"  
"I... I... it's nothing" Charles stammered with a slight wave of his hand. "Nothing at all"  
"Are you sure?"  
"Mmmm hmmm"

The older man nodded his head but kept his eyes closed and his back to his friend. Hank continued to stare, not quite believing him. He watched as Charles took a deep breath, his tongue subconsciously licking his bottom lip. He appeared... flustered.  
Hank dared to move closer. He reached out and placed his hand upon Charles's shoulder; he expected him to flinch away so was surprised when he didn't. Charles opened his eyes and turned to look at Hank with lust filled eyes. 

"Charles-"  
"I'm fine!"

Hank moved closer yet again, towering over Charles but in a non-threatening way. The older man stared up at him from beneath his lashes.

"No, you're not" Hank whispered.   
"Hank" Charles paused.   
"It's the serum, isn't it?"  
Charles swallowed nervously and nodded his head yes.  
"Why didn't you say something?"

He took a step away and backed into the nearby countertop.   
"Hank, I... I wanted to tell you but..." he paused. "You worked so hard and I..." he sighed. "I watched you work around the clock for weeks and every time it didn't work you became so disheartened and... I could see how it was bringing you down, you were pushing yourself too hard, running yourself into the ground and I... I just couldn't let you continue. I knew the only way you'd stop was if you thought you'd succeeded"  
"So you lied to me?"  
"I wanted to help you... the stress was too much and I knew you'd never give up, even if I tried to talk you around, you still would have kept going"

It was Hank's turn to sigh. He hated that Charles had lied to him, had tricked him into stopping his research. He'd truly believed that he'd found a way to help his friend but now he knew he'd failed him.  
Charles was still suffering the unique side effects of the serum and had, once again, kept the truth from him.   
It hurt.  
Hank and Charles had been living in isolation together for several years now. They only had each other for company and they had always been completely honest, no secrets from the other... until Charles had become too reliant on the serum and Hank himself had fallen in love with him. His feelings for Charles was the only secret he wanted them to have.

"What does it do?" Hank asked him.  
"What does what do?"  
"The new serum? Is it better? Worse?"  
"It's.... different"  
Hank stepped closer, once again placing his hand on Charles's shoulder.  
"Different how?" He asked.  
Charles averted his eyes, his face beginning to get flustered.  
"The side effects are the same" he confessed. "Perhaps worse but they take longer to manifest"  
"How much worse?"

He could hear the disappointment in Hank's voice and kept his head down. Charles didn't want to see how much he hurt his friend.  
"I can't-" he whispered.  
"Please, Charles?" Hank's voice was equally low.  
"It's humiliating to talk about, Hank"  
"No, do not feel embarrassed around me, Charles. Just talk to me, tell me what I can do to help"

Charles bit his lip. He wanted to argue, tell Hank that he couldn't help... that he needed to stop touching him. His entire body was reacting to the completely innocent way that Hank was standing so very close to him.  
"You can't, Hank, I... I..." Charles was blushing now. "I need... need to... but I can't... I won't..."

He swallowed nervously, knowing exactly what he needed right now. He longed to be touched, to be brought to the very brink before falling over the edge. He hadn't been with anyone since... No, he couldn't go through something like that again.  
Charles kept his eyes closed in a desperate bid to hold back tears that he didn't wish to shed. Hank simply stared at Charles as the older man swallowed hard; his eyes were still squeezed shut. It tore at his heart, knowing he couldn't do anything to help his friend... or could he?

They were standing so close together; Hank could feel the heat radiating from Charles's body. The older man was fighting within himself, trying to control the reactions, desires, of his body.

He knew it was wrong but found himself unable to resist. Hank reached out a trembling hand and gently stroked his friend's cheek. Charles opened his eyes and stared up at the younger man. His tongue moistened his bottom lip as he gazed into Hank's nervous eyes.  
Charles swallowed; his heart beating rapidly in his chest as his breathing increased exponentially.

As they stared into each other’s eyes, Hank reached out with his hand and placed it upon the crotch of Charles's pants. The older man groaned at the touch and involuntarily bucked his hips. He knew he shouldn't want this, that it was too soon but his cock was already hard.   
Hank gave an affectionate squeeze and Charles cried out incoherently. The taller man leaned down, placing his forehead against Charles's but the older brunette had closed his eyes; his breathing was still very ragged.

"Charles" Hank whispered. "I'll stop if you want me to"  
He wanted to say yes, tell Hank that it was wrong, too soon, that he didn't want this, didn't want for this to happen between the two of them... but he couldn't form the words. When Hank moved his hand, Charles whimpered at the loss of contact. His eyes flew open and he stared at his friend who could see the lust in Charles's deep blue eyes. 

He knew it was just the serum; that Charles would never dream of looking at him in such a way but in that moment all Hank wanted to do was kiss him.  
He couldn't though. It was too soon. Charles was still recovering from his assault. Yet here they stood, so close together, their bodies practically already joined... and Charles still hadn't told him no.

Hank blinked back tears of his own as he oh so slowly sank to his knees. Charles remained fixed to the spot, trapped between his friend and the kitchen counter, unable and unwilling to move. He stared as Hank fell to his knees; his own cock throbbing at the mere sight.  
This was wrong; so wrong yet his body wanted, needed, was begging for it. He knew if he said the word, Hank would stop, would walk away and this wouldn't happen but he was already tired of having to ride out the effects of the serum alone.

His heart was hammering in his chest as he looked down at the younger man who was staring up at him. Neither of them blinked as Hank reached up, gripped the waistband of Charles's pants and proceeded to lower them. Now free of the confining material, his hard, weeping cock stood proud and firm. The slivers of pre-cum were already oozing from the tip. He was used to jacking himself off; had done it so many times while taking the serum but nothing compared to having someone else bring him to the brink. 

Hank continued to meet Charles's eyes as he wrapped his hand around the base of his cock and affectionately fondled his ball sac.   
A cry of delight passed Charles's lips and Hank smiled to himself.   
He wasn't ready for this, he'd dreamed of it for so long but now that it was finally a reality, he had no idea what to do. He didn't want to rush this in case Charles changed his mind and begged him to stop but he didn't wish to linger either... given the state of arousal Charles was already at, the older man probably wasn't going to last very long.

He was still caressing the balls, enjoying the whimpers of lust emitting from his friend's throat. Next he wrapped his fingers around the hard shaft and began to pump his fist, stroking the hard, erect cock in a steady rhythm that matched the treatment of his balls.  
Hank's cock was beginning to stir but he fought the urge to touch himself. His only focus now was on Charles. He kept his attention on his friend, knowing this could not be easy for him. Hank was expecting the worst, convinced that Charles would be overwhelmed by the memory of his recent assault.  
But no, the older man was whimpering a name... his name! It was almost enough to make him come in his own pants; Hank had never heard his name said like that before, he knew it was something he would never forget.

Not wanting to delay any further, Hank parted his lips and took Charles's cock into his mouth. He closed his eyes and groaned to himself. It tasted even better than he'd ever imagined.  
He couldn't believe what was happening... how had this happened? One minute he was making himself a sandwich and now he was feasting on his only friend’s tasty cock.

It was absolute perfection. Everything about Charles was simply perfect. Hank had dreamed of this for so long and when he felt his friend losing his composure, going weak at the knees, he knew he needed to stop.  
He pulled away, the hard cock slipping from his mouth as he leaned back to examine his flustered friend. Charles was trying to brace himself against the bench but failing miserably.

His heart went out to him. Neither of them said a word as Hank swept Charles off his feet and placed him upon the bench top. He wrenched his pants off and parted his legs before diving back in to reclaim his prize.  
Now that he didn't have to maintain his balance, Charles began to really let loose. He bucked his hips enthusiastically as he begged Hank to take more of him. The angle wasn't perfect but the younger man did his best and it wasn't long before Charles surrendered to his intense orgasm. He came in several quick bursts, his sweet seed exploded into Hank's awaiting mouth.

They were both panting for breath when Hank finally pulled away. He sank to the floor, looking up at Charles, perched above him on the counter.  
The older man was an adorable mix of flustered, aroused and mortified. He stared down at his friend with an expression that clearly stated that he couldn't quite believe what had just happened.

"Charles?" Hank was the first to speak. He gingerly got to his feet, looking at his friend with concern. "Charles, are you okay?"  
The older man nodded his head as tears filled his eyes.  
"Charles, no, please don't cry"  
"I'm so sorry, Hank"  
"What?"  
"You never should have... I shouldn't have..."

Charles slid off the counter and stood before him on shaky legs. Hank took a step forward but Charles side stepped him.  
"No, don't!" Charles begged.  
"Charles, it’s okay"  
"No, it's not... it's not okay"

Hank reached out and placed his hands on Charles's shoulders, urging his friend to look at him.  
"Charles" he spoke very clearly. "It is okay. You didn't ask for any of this. These side effects you're dealing with, they're my fault! It was my work that caused them"  
"No"  
"Yes! And you don't have to go through this alone. Charles, it was my serum that caused you to put yourself in harm’s way and after what those men did to you... I don't want you going out there anymore. I can't watch anymore strangers hurt you like that-"  
"Hank-"  
"You don't have to do this alone" Hank said again. "I'm here for you, Charles! Promise me that... when the effects become too much for you, you'll come to me and let me help you through it"  
"Hank, I can't ask that of you"  
"You're not, I'm offering... No, I'm insisting"  
"I can't" Charles shook his head from side to side. "I can't do that to you"  
"Why not? It's my fault this is happening to you"  
"It's not right, it's not fair to you"  
"You're my friend, Charles; I hate the thought of you suffering because of me"  
"Likewise Hank... I'm not going to use you like... like my own private prostitute"  
"I'm not asking you to" he reached out and grasped Charles's hand. "I'm asking you to let me help you when you need it"  
"Hank-"  
"Promise me, Charles, that if you need someone to help you get through times like these, you'll come only to me"

Charles felt he wasn't going to win this argument and he knew he did not wish to leave the mansion in search of more random hook ups. The best he could do was agree to Hank's insane proposition then never take him up on his offer.

"Fine" he heard himself reluctantly agreeing. "I promise, Hank, you're the only one I'll come to"  
"Thank you" he wrapped his arms around Charles and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, Charles"  
He didn't return the embrace.   
His arms hung limply at his sides as the reality sunk in. He'd just accepted a blowjob from his best friend and had just agreed not to let anyone but that friend suck him off ever again.  
What kind of friend was he? In that moment, Charles hated himself and was already trying to figure out how he'd ever be able to look at Hank the same way, now that all he could think about were those beautiful lips wrapped around his cock.   
The thought alone caused a stirring in the pit of his stomach and he knew he needed to leave. Sometimes the serum didn't give him much of a reprieve between arousals and he knew if he lingered too long, he wouldn't be able to stop himself asking for a repeat performance.

"I think I need to lie down" Charles said. It wasn't completely a lie.  
"Of course" Hank stepped aside. "You should rest"  
"I think it might be for the best if we don't uh mention this again, not unless we have to"  
"Uh sure, Charles, if that's what you want"  
"It is, Hank, it is"

With a heavy and confused heart, Hank watched Charles pick up his pants and sweep out of the room. He couldn't help staring at the pert, naked ass of his friend as he walked away from him.  
He sighed.  
Perhaps it had been a mistake to proposition his friend like that but at least it was out there now. If Charles needed him, Hank would be there for him, willing to help in any way he could. He secretly hoped it wouldn't be long before Charles needed him again.

*

Charles hurried up the stairs and into one of the many disused bedrooms. He locked the door and threw himself down upon the bed as the tears began to stream down his cheeks.  
He was a terrible, awful person. He never should have allowed such a thing to happen between himself and Hank. It was wrong. Hank was his friend; his dear, dear friend. Hank was the one constant in his life. He was the only one who had stayed behind, had stayed to look after him, keep him company. Hank had invented the serum that kept his powers away; that allowed him to walk and to sleep without the millions of voices niggling at his mind, slowly send him crazy.  
Hank was his best friend. His only friend. Hank had loved Raven as much as Charles had... Raven, his adoptive sister, had fallen for Hank and this was how Charles respected her? By accepting an unnecessary blowjob from the man his sister had loved?

He buried his face in the pillow to stifle the sound of his sobs. The last thing he needed was for Hank to come check on him and find him crying. The younger man had told him that it was okay but it wasn't. It would never be okay again.  
Charles could already envision Hank down in his lab, furiously working on more attempts to fix his serum.

Charles tried to understand where Hank had been coming from. Yes, they were friends but what Hank had offered went beyond the boundaries of friendship. It was a completely different level!   
But Hank had been the one to find and save him from the vicious assault he'd allowed himself to fall victim to. It could not have been easy for him, finding strangers in their home, hurting Charles, turning Beast on them and attacking them in return.  
Charles then began to feel even more guilt. He'd not once asked Hank how he was dealing with the aftermath. His friend had shown such concern and compassion for him yet Charles hadn't returned the sentiment, mostly because the telepath hadn't wanted to talk about it... he still didn't want to.

He knew something had to be wrong with him. He'd ignored his friend’s feelings, had lied to him about his work on the serum and was now lying on his bed wondering if he could feasibly get Hank to ease the growing excitement between his legs.  
He truly was awful!  
Charles stopped fighting the tears. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the vastly high ceiling. He let go and began to sob as he grabbed his hard cock and began to work himself.   
It wasn't the same but he didn't deserve someone else doing this for him. He was a bad, rude, selfish man who only had two choices... either be content with only his hand for company or stop taking the serum altogether and live with the pain of having his powers and his inability to walk.  
Neither of these sounded ideal. He rolled onto his side and sobbed into his pillow as he continued touching himself, willing himself to come quickly but scared what he would do once he had no reason to remain locked away in this room.  
He hoped and prayed that Hank would stay away; he didn't want his friend to have to see him like this, not now, not ever.

*****

Charles was too ashamed to face Hank and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening locked in the bedroom. It was almost three in the morning by the time he pulled himself together enough to venture back downstairs. His half prepared tea had been thrown out, cup rinsed, cleaned and put away. It didn't make him feel better, knowing Hank had cleaned up yet another mess of his.  
Charles moved quietly about the kitchen, making himself a fresh cup. He nursed the warm mug in both hands, wishing the heat could ease the cold pain of guilt he was currently feeling. It didn't help that he hadn't left the Kitchen and was staring at the very bench that Hank had sat him on.

He turned away as tears burned his eyes. The memory alone made him feel sick. He needed to apologize to Hank, properly, show the younger man how sorry he was that he'd stupidly allowed it to happen.  
At least he didn't feel remotely hungry so he left the room, taking his warm tea with him. Charles climbed the stairs and paused outside Hank's closed door. He wanted to knock but couldn't; he wasn't used to the door being closed to him.   
For weeks now, Hank had been leaving his door open as an invitation for Charles should he need him. Sure it had been several weeks since his last nightmare had sent him crawling into Hank's bed... yet the door had always remained open to him.

A part of him was tempted to go in anyway, to crawl beneath the sheets and draw the comfort that his friend so freely offered him; act like nothing had changed between them except that it had and he couldn't undo it.  
Charles moved on, back to the room he currently called his and pushed the door closed. He didn't lock it. He also didn't get much sleep thanks to the new nightmares that quickly invaded his dreams.


	7. Chapter 7

The days that followed were even more awkward as Charles tried his best to avoid any room in that house where he might run into Hank. He just wasn't ready to face the embarrassment yet. He was certain that his friend knew he was purposely hiding from him but Hank never once came looking for him.  
Three days passed; Charles spent a lot of time either in his room or outside, under the shade of a very large tree. Hank, in turn, threw himself back into working on fixing the serum. He also took to standing by the window, watching Charles under the tree... remembering all the times he'd seen the older man kissing Erik against the trunk; on more than one occasion he'd witnessed them doing a touch more than just kissing.  
His heart went out to Charles. It had been ten years since he'd lost Erik yet sometimes the pain was still so present in his eyes. It was clear the telepath still loved him, even after all this time had passed.

Charles knew he couldn't avoid Hank forever but he just didn't know how to resolve this. He considered writing him a letter but felt it was too impersonal.   
On the fourth day of his avoidance, he heard the front door open and raced to the window. Hank was climbing into the car, no doubt heading into town for groceries. He raced down the stairs and into the kitchen for some food then settled himself at the table to plan out exactly what he needed to say to his friend.

He didn't want things to be awkward nor did he wish to keep having to avoid the man but he needed to clear the air. He needed to tell Hank that as generous as his offer had been, he simply couldn't agree to it.  
For starters, Hank wasn't gay. Charles was certain of that. The young genius had fallen hard for Raven and had never shown any signs of being attracted to men. Charles had never once picked up even the slightest hint from Hank that he was so inclined. Sure, it had been ten years since the scientist had even been on a date but being cut off from the dating game didn't automatically make one turn gay... yet Hank had seemed to rather enjoy himself during their 'moment' in the kitchen.

Charles could no longer think straight, his head hurt too much. There was simply no other option right now. He climbed to his feet, made his way into the study and located the fullest bottle of scotch he could find. He couldn't think of an easy solution to his current predicament but he could drink himself to an answer. He was sure of that much.

*

Hank was resigned to the fact that he would be returning home to a deserted house... or at least it felt empty. For years it had been just the two of them and they could often go days on end without seeing each other. Hank would get caught up in his work and keep very long and odd hours in his lab, Charles would just be Charles and would spend his days drinking or wallowing or both.  
But this was different. The older man had never purposely avoided him before and it hurt. Even those few dark days after Charles's assault, he still stayed close, too nervous to be completely alone...  
He had known things would be different between them now but he'd been so hopeful that it would be for the better. He'd meant every word of what he'd said to Charles and he hoped his friend was giving it some serious thought.

Deep down, he knew his intentions were purely selfish but he just couldn't bring himself to tell Charles the truth. He knew his friend didn't return his feels so bringing them into the open would just make things more awkward between them but he needed Charles to know he was serious about helping him through this.

Hank unloaded the car and put all his purchases away in their rightful places. Not once did he hear a sound from anywhere in the house. It was a little unnerving. He went to the window but Charles wasn't under the tree, he assumed him to be upstairs in his newly acquired room.   
Hank made for the library in search of the book he'd been reading the night before. He pushed the door open but stopped when he saw Charles curled up on the couch. 

His friend wasn't moving; his legs tucked up to his chest with a bottle of scotch between them, his eyes were staring at the chessboard on the table before him yet appeared completely out of focus. Hank wondered if he'd passed out or fallen asleep with his eyes open.  
Now wasn't the time but he couldn't ignore it any longer. Hank walked into the room and stopped just shy of the couch.

"Charles?" His own voice sounded hoarse, having not spoken to anyone for several days. He cleared his throat. "Charles" he stared again. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?"  
The older man didn't speak, merely shook his head no. His eyes still fixed on the chessboard.

"I think we need to talk" Hank said as he sank down into the nearby armchair. "Or I can talk and you listen... I'll ask questions and you can nod or grunt or you know..."

Charles's gaze flickered towards Hank before listing back to the bottle of scotch he was clutching to his chest. He wanted a drink but the bottle had been emptied an hour ago. He didn't know what Hank was going to say nor did he particularly want to so he decided to beat him to the punch.

"I just don't understand why you would want to do something like this for me" Charles said, unable to look at Hank.  
"Why wouldn't I?" Hank replied; relieved to hear his friend speak. "Besides, it's because of my serum that you're even like this"  
"So it's guilt then?"  
"What? No!"

Charles finally glanced up and met his friend's gaze.  
"Then why?" His voice was low, sad. "You're not... you don't even..." he paused, unsure how to ask the question. "You were in love with my sister; most men who like women don't just wake up one morning and decide to start sucking on other men's cocks"  
He didn't mean to sound crude but it was the most direct approach.  
"Don't they?" Hank replied. "I mean, you did"

Charles's entire body tensed as he stared at Hank. The younger man was challenging him to dispute his claim.  
When Charles didn't respond, Hank continued.  
"Raven told me you were straight" he paused. "Said you'd been flirting with Moira since the moment you met her but I saw something else. I knew the second you walked into my lab that you only had eyes for Erik"  
Tears began to form in Charles's eyes.  
"I never once doubted that he loved you too. That first time you tried out Cerebro, he called you an adorable lab rat but I could see the fear in his eyes. He was scared my machine wasn't safe, that something might happen to you... Yet I knew, even back then, that he would hurt you"  
"Hank-"  
"He was too revenge focused and you were too idealistic. It didn't matter how much you loved each other, it was doomed from the start"

Charles abruptly got to his feet and turned his back on Hank. He crossed the room, put the empty bottle down and picked up an almost full one. Hank watched him remove the lid then raise the bottle to his lips. He'd seen Charles like this before and knew it wouldn't be the last time either.

"You still haven't answered my question" Charles stated in between swigs.  
"I need you to answer mine first" Hank reasoned. "Is this new formula better or worse than the previous one?"  
"It's just different"  
"Different how? I can't try to fix it again until I know what it's doing to you"  
"I don't want you to fix it!" Charles cried before knocking the empty bottle off the table in frustration. It fell to the floor and smashed to pieces. "Not anymore"

Hank leapt to his feet and swept Charles off the ground. The younger man wasn't wearing any shoes and he didn't want him to step in the broken shards of glass. He quickly set him back down on the couch then turned to sweep up the glass.  
"Why not?" Hank tried to keep the conversation moving. "You're still... experiencing side effects, aren't you?"  
"Yes" Charles continued drinking from the bottle.  
"So why can't I help you?"  
"I told you already, you spent weeks working on it and it still didn't work. Clearly it's just my brain that's messed up. If I have to choose between blinding headaches brought on by millions of voices in my head every minute of every day and having a heightened sex drive with forced multiple orgasms every few days, I think I know which one I'd prefer"  
"Charles-"  
"It wasn't so bad to begin with... this new one... Hank, I don't know which one is better! This one seems to take longer for the side effects to kick in but once they do... It's like nothing can completely satisfy me"  
"Charles-"  
"I thought it had worked" Charles explained. "It had been nearly a week and nothing but then I was in here and I was... I was staring at the chessboard, remembering all the times Erik and I had played each other and this memory filled my mind... one of the most vivid I've ever recalled, where we were arguing over who was winning and Erik kissed me to make me stop arguing..." he paused as his eyes flickered back to the board. "Did you know those pieces have metal in them? I didn't"  
"Erik was cheating?"  
"No" Charles smiled to himself. "But he kissed me again and again until I was... drunk on his affection; I don't even remember him taking my clothes off but sometimes I can still feel what he did with those metal chess pieces"  
Hank stared at Charles with nothing but shock on his face, fortunately the older man was still smirking at the chessboard. "Just the memory alone... I came without even touching myself"

But Hank wasn't listening anymore; he was staring at the chess pieces. He had played against Charles more times than he could recall over the past few years. Had he been playing with pieces that Erik had... that Charles...?

Charles finally turned to look at Hank, surprised the younger man hadn't said a word yet and saw that he was actually struggling to put into words what he was thinking.

"Hank?" Charles began.   
"This was a school" Hank finally uttered. "Some of the students used to play chess on that board"  
"Erik licked them clean when we were done" Hank's eyes were so wide Charles feared they'd pop out of his head. "I'm kidding; we washed them of course"

Hank was still staring at him as though he'd suddenly grown two heads. Charles stared back at him, a slightly bemused expression on his face.  
"You're actually shocked" Charles was trying not to smile.  
"So what if I am?" Hank managed to respond.  
"You're such a hypocrite!"  
He opened his mouth to argue but as he stared at his friend, he paused and saw it; Charles was smiling. No, not just smiling, his eyes were alight and he was actually grinning. Hank hadn't seen him this animated in a long, long time. He knew he needed to tread carefully; he didn't want this Charles to disappear again.  
Tossing the glass into the nearby wastebasket, Hank moved around the table and set himself down on the armrest of the couch.

"A hypocrite?" He repeated, somewhat casually. "How did you reach that hypothesis, Charles?"  
"Do I need to remind you who sucked who’s cock the other day?"  
Hank felt his cheeks grow warm.  
"No, you do not"  
"Exactly!"

Charles threw back another mouthful of scotch, still chugging directly from the bottle.  
"And yet you're the one getting squeamish over a few chess pieces" he concluded.  
"I'm just... I don't think something like that would ever, ever cross my mind"  
"And yet I'll bet you can think of nothing else now"  
"Honestly I'm trying to figure out exactly which pieces he used on you"  
Charles merely shot him a wicked grin in response before taking another sip from the bottle.

He missed this happy playful Charles but he had to ask the question pressing heavily on his mind.  
"Charles, I have to ask" he paused, cautiously. "Now that I knew neither serum actually works, which one should I continue to give you?"  
"I don't know"  
"Charles-"  
"I honestly don't know... this one gives me a longer reprieve but if you hadn't been in the kitchen the other night, I don't know what I would have done"  
"I... I thought my standing so close to you was what uh set you off"  
Charles half shrugged his shoulders.  
"It would have happened anyway; like I said a bloody chess game did me in a couple of weeks back"

"So" Hank paused. "You're not mad at me, for what I did then?"  
"Mad at you? Of course not, Hank" Charles insisted. "I could never be mad at you, my friend... but I am disappointed in myself for allowing it to happen"  
"Charles-"  
"I never should have put you in a position where you would think to do something like that"  
"I just wanted to help you but I..." he trailed off, unable to finish.

"But.. what?" Charles asked; the playfulness of earlier now replaced with a sense of concern.  
"I was afraid that it would stir up memories of what happened to you" he kept his response vague, knowing that Charles would understand his meaning. "I know the nightmares have stopped but you've never really talked about it"  
"Because there's nothing to say. I was... I misjudged a man that I chose to bring home and he hurt me but you stopped him, them, and we can't change that... the past is in the past" he paused and had another drink. "I wish I could say them attacking me had made sex lose its appeal but the effects of the serum... still make me crave it... sometimes the desire is so strong, so intense that I..." it was his turn to trail off.

Hank reached out and placed his hand on top of Charles's. The older man looked up at him and tried to smile but Hank could tell it was forced and his friend was trying not to let his tears form.  
"That's what makes it so hard to say no to you" he confessed.  
"What?"

Charles shifted his hand, turning it over to entwine their fingers. He continued to gaze up at Hank.  
"It was very sweet of you to offer, Hank" Charles explained. "But I can't do that to you. You're my friend and I have the upmost respect for you so I simply can not allow you to do it. I will not ask you to change your ways just to satisfy me"  
"But I'm not changing anything, Charles"  
"Of course you are"

"No"   
Hank slipped off the arm rest and onto the couch beside his friend, still holding tightly to Charles's hand.  
"You never asked and I never volunteered but" he paused. "Before Raven... there was someone else"   
Charles had never heard Hank speak of a significant other before but he kept quiet, willing him to continue of his own accord.   
"We worked together at the CIA for quite some time; neither of us knew if the other was interested in that way until one night when we were working late, really late, like really early hours of the next morning and we made a big breakthrough on his project and we kissed" he trailed off, clearly lost in memories of days long past. "Things went pretty slow between us but I fell for him and I fell hard"  
"What happened?" Charles asked, his voice very soft.  
Hank turned and looked at him, the answer clear all over his face.  
"He didn't know about your-"  
"I did everything I could to hide it from him" Hank explained. "It drove him crazy; he just couldn't understand why I always left my socks on during sex... One night I woke up to him screaming in horror. He just kept shouting 'what's wrong with your feet?' over and over again.... and then he left. He ran out in the middle of the night and I never saw him again"  
"Oh Hank"  
"Silver lining was he obviously never told anyone because I got to keep my job and no one ever said anything about it"  
"I'm so sorry"

"It was one of the reasons why I started working on a cure" Hank explained. "I knew that... anyone I tried to get close to after that would react like he did and I didn't want to be alone for the rest of my life"  
Charles gently squeezed his hand.  
"It wasn't until you all came along and... You saw me for who I really was and you all accepted me. Even after I failed and turned into Beast... When I thought Erik was mocking me, he wasn't! He saw my mutation as beautiful... the things about ourselves that we hated, he celebrated"

Charles couldn't hold back a sad smile.  
"He did" Charles agreed. "He was a very unique individual who now happens to be in jail"  
Hank turned and looked at Charles.  
"You don't really think he did it, do you?"   
"It doesn't really matter what I think"  
"It does to me"  
"I'd like to think that the man I loved wasn't capable of killing the president but he murdered Shaw without hesitation"  
"A man that murdered his mother and warped his entire upbringing"

"Please, Hank, let's not focus on Erik right now, we were talking about you" Charles tried to shift the conversation.  
"But what if he didn't do it?" Hank continued. "Have you ever thought about what you would say or do if you saw him again?"  
"I dream about it sometimes" he admitted.  
"And?"  
"It always plays out in one of two ways. I either hit him or... I kiss him and beg him, to promise not to leave me again"  
"And what does he say?"  
"I always wake up before he can answer"

Hank reached out, took the bottle from Charles and had a mouthful.  
"I'm sorry this conversation took a turn" he said.  
"Thank you for telling me about your past"  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner"  
"It's okay. I like that we're still learning new things about each other, even after all these years"

Charles plucked the scotch from Hank's hand and raised it to his lips.  
"I think that's enough awkward conversation for one afternoon" he said. "Fancy a game of chess?"  
Hank's eyes shot toward the table.  
"On that board?" He asked. Charles grinned mischievously.  
"If you beat me, I'll tell you which pieces he used"

*

Hank had never tried so hard in his life to win a game of chess but he managed to keep his dignity in his defeat. He wasn't entirely sure if he wanted the correct pieces to be revealed to him anyway, it was kind of nice not knowing as he could happily spend hours imagining which ones they were. He was considerate enough not to bring up his offer to Charles again and things began to return to normal within the mansion. 

Charles did start drinking a little more frequently but Hank decided to give him that one. His friend had been through a lot and if this was what he needed to be able to cope then so be it.  
Hank did notice a pattern that correlated to Charles taking the serum and his increased alcohol intake. He also noticed that his friend tended to vanish on the days that the side effects were most likely to be overwhelming to him. 

The scientist also resumed his work on the serum but he scaled back the hours he spent pouring over it. No matter what he did, the side effects for Charles always appeared to be the same. His only conclusion was that he may never find a cure and that Charles would be doomed to have an altered sex drive for as long as he continued taking the serum.  
He tried several of the altered serums on himself, somewhat hopeful that one might affect his stimulus in some way but it never did.  
By his calculations, Charles would reach the peak of arousal the following day so Hank started to think of a way to drop some subtle hints to his friend. He found it rather admirable that Charles wished to respect the bounds of their friendship but he wished the older man would be willing to cross it just once more.  
He knew he did have one last hand to play, that he could simply tell Charles how he felt about him but he was scared. Charles didn't return his feelings and the last thing he wanted was a pity fuck, no matter how much he would have enjoyed it at the time.

Hank was sitting in his lab, not really seeing the work on the table before him. It had been weeks since their encounter in the kitchen and the scientist was now starting to wish he'd never done what he had.  
He thought he was helping, that he was doing the right thing for his friend but now it was stirring up so many old memories. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be with a man, to feel and taste a hard, erect cock in his hand and in his mouth. Now that he could remember what he'd been missing, it was taking all his resolve not to forcibly take it... but he couldn't do that. He'd already witnessed Charles going out and about, all hours of the night with random men; had made Charles promise never to do it again. He couldn't now turn around and do the exact same thing.

A knock at the door of the lab brought him from his musings. He turned and saw Charles leaning against the door frame with a bottle of scotch and two glasses in his hands.

"Can I interrupt?" Charles asked.  
"Of course" Hank pulled up another chair as Charles crossed the room and sank down next to him.  
"What are you working on?"  
"The serum"  
"Hank-"  
"It's just for my own piece of mind, Charles, I'm not tearing my hair out over it, honest"

"Is everything okay with you, Hank?" Charles asked as he poured the scotch into the glasses. He pushed one across to his friend.  
"Why wouldn't it be?"  
"You've been very quiet since our talk"  
"Just had a lot on my mind really... it stirred up a lot of memories that I... I'd long buried"  
"I'm sorry"  
"You called me a hypocrite"  
"I didn't really mean it, not like I said it"

Hank waved his hand to silence him.  
"I think you were right" he said. "More so now though"  
"How so?" Charles finished his drink and poured himself another.  
"I've been single for a very long time"  
"I suppose you have"

Hank downed his scotch, poured a second glass and downed it in one mouthful. He stared at the now empty glass as he spoke.  
"I hadn't realized how much I miss it" he confessed.  
"Miss what?"  
"Sex"  
Charles was mid-sip and spat out his drink in shock. He had to have misheard his friend.  
"I... uh... What?" He was coughing and spluttering as he spoke.  
"Nothing" Hank was already regretting having said anything. "Forget it"  
"You know you're not a prisoner here, Hank, you are welcome to a life of your own"  
"I know but I've been so engrossed in my work, my research for all these years that I... I guess I just forgot about everything else in the meantime"  
"Maybe you need to put yourself back out there?" Charles suggested.  
"Would you think less of me if I said I was afraid to? I have this fear that if I move on, Raven will come back and I will have lost her for good"  
"I could never think less of you, Hank" he paused. "And sometimes I feel the same. It's part of the reason I'm still here now... this was my family home but she knows she has a home here too. I occasionally live in hope that one day she'll come back to us"

Hank nodded his head in understanding. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Charles, pulling the smaller man into a bear hug. He smiled when he felt his friend returning his embrace.

"Thank you, for the drink" Hank said as he pulled away. "And for the pep talk"  
"Anytime, Hank" Charles replied.  
"Oh, was there something you came in here for? Anything you need to talk about?"  
"No, nothing, just looking for some company"  
"Well, you're welcome to stay while I work but you'll probably get bored quick"  
"I don't mind, I have a half a bottle of scotch to keep me entertained"  
"Whatever gets you through the afternoon"

Charles poured another glass for Hank before moving himself to the far corner so he wouldn't be in the way.  
Half an hour later, Hank sneaked a peek over his shoulder and found the older man with his head on the desk, fast asleep. He smiled to himself and decided to just let him sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

It was very late, the house was locked up tight and Hank was sitting up in his bed with two books open before him. He kept flicking between the two, unable to fully commit to either one. A sound from far away caused the hairs on the back of his neck to tingle and he carefully slipped out from beneath the sheets. Leaving the light on and his door wide open, he stepped out into the hall and towards the large staircase.  
He rounded the corner just as Charles reached the landing. Hank didn't wish to startle him so he spoke very softly.

"Charles?" He whispered. "What are you doing?"  
"Nothing" he replied, somewhat defensively as he made to move around his friend.

Hank moved closer and saw the droplets of water in his friend's hair and on his clothes and realized it was raining out there. The older man having come in just in time to avoid the downpour.  
Hank took in Charles's appearance; he was wearing slippers, sweatpants and a singlet. His thin dressing gown was open and speckled with raindrops. He shouldn't have been outside dressed like that.

He opened his mouth to say so when a loud boom of thunder echoed along the hall. The light from Hank's room went out, plunging them into darkness. The still building storm sounded so much worse through the pitch blackness of the hall.  
All thought of rousing on Charles left his mind as he was now just thankful his friend had made it inside when he had.  
Hank reached for Charles and pulled him into a hug as the boom of thunder grew louder. The smaller man was shivering at the cold.

"Charles!" Hank exclaimed. "You're practically frozen. How long were you out there?"  
He felt Charles attempt to shrug his shoulders and decided now wasn't the time for talking. He took charge, leading Charles down the hall towards his room. Once inside, they moved towards the bed and Hank felt around for the books scattered on the mattress. He tossed them aside then reached for Charles.

The older man stood listlessly as Hank removed his damp dressing gown and set him down on the bed. The room was dark so Charles couldn't see his friend but his own teeth had started chattering. He felt his slippers coming off then Hank was easing him down onto the mattress and pulling the warm quilt up over him.  
He was still shivering when Hank climbed into the bed beside him. The younger man slid under the covers and settled behind his cold friend. He moved closer and dared to slide his arm around his waist. He smiled to himself when he felt Charles shift towards him. The two men lay together, wrapped in the warmth of the quilt; Hank's body spooning Charles's.

It didn't take long for Charles to stop shivering from the cold. His teeth stopped chattering but his heart beat began to quicken. He closed his eyes as he slowly, subtly reached down and placed his hand on top of Hank's.   
For the longest time neither of them moved or spoke. Hank started to suspect that Charles had fallen asleep; then he felt his hand being guided up to Charles's chest. He could feel the other man's increased heartbeat.

He told himself to remain calm, to let this play out however Charles wanted it to but he couldn't resist giving the nipple near his finger a brief squeeze through his shirt. He heard and felt the growl of approval this inflicted from Charles.  
Charles's hand was still on his and it, once again, began to guide him. He licked his lips in anticipation and felt his friend turn his head towards him.

"Hank" Charles whispered, almost breathlessly.  
He didn't know what to say so he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to the older man's neck. Charles gasped then pushed Hank's hand lower until the scientist could feel the very prominent bulge in his pants.  
"Please don't hate me for wanting this" Charles whispered into the darkness.

Hank slipped his large hand into the front of Charles's pants and took hold of his already hard cock. Then he slowly, painfully slowly, began to stroke the weeping organ, causing Charles to whimper with delight.

"Please don't hate me for doing this" Hank whispered in his friend's ear before leaning down and stealing a tender, intimate kiss.  
Charles didn't return the sentiment but Hank hadn't expected him to.

"Tell me to stop and I will" Hank said as he continued to stroke Charles.  
"No" his friend replied. "Don't stop; don't stop... don't stop"

*****

Hank had mentally prepared himself for the conversation he and Charles were bound to have the following morning but the moment never came. He had been certain that Charles would realize it had been a mistake and would come to him, embarrassed for his behaviour, and tell him that it could never happen again. He waited all morning; he watched Charles cautiously during lunch then spent the afternoon on the roof clearing out the gutters after the previous night's storm. By dinner, Charles still hadn't said a word against what had happened between them but he hadn't exactly praised it either.

The next few days were the same; Hank waited and waited but nothing came to pass. He eventually stopped expecting the bubble to burst and did his best to maintain an air of non-chalantness.  
Charles continued on his task of consuming every last bottle of alcohol he could find while Hank divided his time between working in the lab and working outside. The grounds had seen better days and would need a lot of work to return them to their prime but Hank had all the time in the world now.

He was kneeling in the grass with a pair of shears in his hand when he sensed his friend behind him. Hank turned and put the tool down as he stood up, wiping his hands on his trousers. Charles was holding out a glass of water to him, in his other hand was a glass of scotch. He was starting to forget what Charles looked like without an alcoholic beverage in hand.  
He accepted the offered the drink and casually sipped it. They stood awkwardly by the flowerbed, neither one knowing how to break the silence. Hank's defences instantly went up, this was clearly the moment he'd been anticipating and Charles was having a difficult time putting it into words.

"I'm so sorry" Charles finally blurted out. "For the other night-"  
"Charles, don't... Please, don't say it" Hank replied, his heart already breaking in two.  
"I have to say something" he paused then looked up to meet Hank's scared expression. "I feel awful that I... That you..." he raised the glass to his lips, the liquid giving him the courage to speak. He closed his eyes. "I should have reciprocated-"  
"Charles" Hank moved towards him and placed a hand upon his shoulder. "Charles, I don't expect you to..." he paused; his hand moving from the shoulder to the older man's chin "Charles, please look at me"

The telepath sighed, opened his eyes and stared up at Hank.  
"I don't expect anything in return-" Hank explained.   
"Well you should" Charles added. Hank shook his head.  
"I don't think you're ready for that Charles. What happened to you was traumatic and still very recent. I would never expect more than you're willing to give"  
"I can't be so selfish... if this thing keeps happening between us... you can't always be the one left unfulfilled... it's just not fair to you"  
"I can take care of myself"  
"But you shouldn't have to!"

Hank reached up and gently brushed Charles's hair off his face.  
"I knew what I was getting into when I made the offer" he continued. "And if you're not comfortable yet then don't feel bad. You shouldn't feel guilty for what happened to you"  
"But you're willing to do something so selflessly to help me, I should be able to do the same"  
"And maybe someday you will but today isn't that day and tomorrow probably won't be either"  
"Hank-"

Hank cut him off with a deep kiss, effectively silencing his friend. This time Charles did return the gesture. It was only a brief embrace before Hank pulled away and pressed his forehead to Charles's. His hand gently stroking the older man's face.  
"I can wait, Charles" Hank whispered. "I can wait as long as you need me to"

*

They didn't discuss the matter any further. Hank was pretty sure he'd managed to convince Charles that he was being sincere. Of course he would have loved for his friend to return the favour he'd been doing for him but he had been telling the truth. He was willing to wait as long as he had to for Charles to feel comfortable with doing such a thing.

Now that the foundation of their arrangement had been laid, all he could do was sit back and wait for Charles to need him again.   
It was a slow, agonizing wait but the payoff was worth it. It may have helped that Hank accidentally misplaced a couple of vials of the serum which resulted in Charles becoming more aroused more frequently.   
Try as he might, Charles did his best not to call on Hank every time he became aroused but it was difficult. He still felt guilty, using his friend in such a way but the younger man was always so eager to please him.

*

Weeks turned to months and Hank continued to help Charles through his constant bouts of arousal.   
His new favourite memory was the time Charles had come to Hank's lab and interrupted his research by begging him to suck him off. The scientist had dropped to his knees without hesitation and had brought the telepath to his knees with an intense orgasm. Charles had returned the favour by touching Hank for the first time. It took a lot of restrain for him not to declare his love for his friend as he came all over Charles's hand.

The erratic schedule made it difficult for Hank to anticipate when Charles would be feeling frisky. Depending on the time of day that he injected himself would vastly effect the time of day or night that he would come to Hank. But Charles tried his best to ensure he only called on Hank in the evenings. That way if his appetite wasn't sated, he could wait for his friend to fall asleep then sneak from the room to ride out the rest of his orgasms on his own. 

Having only dosed himself the previous morning, Charles knew he wouldn't have to worry about any unwanted arousals for a couple of days. So he was completely out of his comfort zone when he knocked on the door to Hank's room. He nervously shifted from one foot to the other as he waited for the door to open.  
Hank was surprised to see him but he stepped aside and welcomed him into the room. Charles appeared to be having an internal debate with himself.

"Charles? Is everything okay?" He asked his friend.  
"Yes, yes" he averted his eyes "everything is... fine"  
"Did you want or need... something?"  
"Me? No... not uh not tonight I uh... I don't... uh..."

Hank led him over to the bed and urged him to sit down but Charles shook his head no. His friend looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face. The older man was fidgeting nervously as he began to pace around the room.   
Unsure what he should be doing, Hank set himself down on the bed and watched Charles in silence.

"Charles? Would you stop pacing and just talk to me?"  
"Hank... I..."  
"It's been months, Charles, surely there's nothing we can't say to each other anymore"  
"You've been so good to me lately that I... I..."

He made his way over to the bed and stopped in front of Hank. Charles reached out and placed his hand on his friend's chin, urging the older man to look up at him.

"I want to make things right" he said. "I want to... I want tonight to be about you"  
"About me?"  
He placed his hand on top of Charles's and eased it away from his face. "Charles, what's going on?"  
The telepath closed his eyes as he spoke.  
"I think it's time I..." he sighed. "I want to suck you off"

"Charles-" Hank started to argue.  
"It's been weeks, months, Hank" Charles replied. "That you've been doing this for me and I... I know last time I tried to and I... I couldn't finish but I... I want to do this for you"  
"You weren't ready and I... I don't think you're ready yet"  
"But I need to try! Please let me try"

Seeing the look of determination on Charles's face made it impossible for Hank to deny him. He tried to act calm as he nodded his consent. Charles was so relieved that he threw himself into Hank's arms and wrapped his arms around his neck as Hank slid his arm around Charles's waist. Then the older man did something he hadn't done for months. He kissed Hank.

The younger man growled in appreciation. In all the months Hank had been helping Charles, he had tried to respect his wish to not be kissed. It was difficult for him to be intimate without kissing but since he spent most of their intimate time together with his mouth on Charles's cock, it didn't leave much time for tender kissing.  
Hank pulled him close, enjoying the way Charles was grinding against him.

"Charles, are you sure about this?" Hank asked.  
"Yes" he assured him. "I need to do this, not just for you but for me"

The telepath climbed off Hank and pushed him down onto the bed. He reached for his pants and slowly lowered them. Hank stared up at Charles, watching his expression closely.  
Charles reached out and wrapped his fingers around the base of Hank's cock, his friend gasped at the suddenness of it. He thought there would be slightly more hesitation on Charles's part but it appeared the older man had made up his mind and was determined to follow through.

Hank stared at his friend's face, watching the look of concentration displayed there. He whispered to him in a reassuring way until Charles looked up, met his gaze and grinned at him. Then Charles leaned down and Hank felt the warm, moist cavern of Charles's mouth engulf his cock and he squeezed his eyes shut, to hold back his tears of happiness.  
He bit down on his lip, to stop himself from crying out... not that anyone was around to hear him. Charles busied himself for a long time, doing what he could to bring Hank to the edge then pulling away before he could see it through. It was agonizing and blissfully perfect at the same time. Hank wanted to come, to get his release but he didn't want it to end, he felt that he could occupy Charles's mouth all night and it would still be over too soon.

As the end drew nearer, he cried out a warning, wanting Charles to know he could pull away if he wanted or needed to but he didn't. Hank came violently hard, his seed spilling into Charles's mouth and trickling down his chin.  
His vision had blurred somewhat but he saw Charles wipe his mouth with the back of his hand as he swallowed Hank's offering.  
Hank couldn't move but he reached up and placed his hand on Charles's cheek. The telepath leaned down and kissed him once more. He could taste traces of himself in Charles's mouth. It was the sexiest thing anyone had ever done for him and it too brought tears to his eyes.

"Are you alright, Charles?" Hank asked him, concerned for his friend's state of mind.  
Charles lay down beside him and gazed into his eyes.  
"I'm sorry it took me so long to... be ready"  
Hank reached up and gently touched his cheek.  
"It was worth the wait, Charles" he assured him. "You are worth waiting for"

They exchanged nervous smiles before Hank managed to work up the energy to move. He shimmied up the bed then waited for Charles to follow his lead. Once settled with their heads on the pillows, Hank pulled the blanket up and pulled Charles into his arms.  
It was moments like this that he had to remind himself that they weren't a couple but tonight he ignored that annoying voice in his head. Charles was there, in his bed and in his arms and it was not because of the serum. It was because he'd wanted to be with Hank.   
He told himself it was enough for now but he wasn't sure how long that would stay true.

*

Hank was clearing away some of the empty scotch bottles when he heard a knock at the front door. Having not had any visitors since Charles had stopped bringing one night stands home, he was curious to find out who would have ventured to the now closed school. He made his way to the door and opened it just enough to see who was there.

The man on the stoop was older, rugged and rather handsome. Hank took an instant dislike to him.  
"Can I help you?" He asked very curtly. The man tried to see past him into the house as he spoke.  
"Uh yeah" he said. "What happened to the school?"  
"The school's been shut for years. Are you a parent?"  
The man snorted before replying. "Sure as hell hope not. Who are you?"  
"Hank, Hank McCoy... I look after the house now"

The visitor removed his sunglasses as he took in Hank's appearance.  
"You're Beast?" He asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice. "Look at you. I guess you were a late bloomer"  
"I don't know what you're talking about" Hank tried to brush him off, wanting to be rid of this man as quickly as possible. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave"

He made to close the door but the man reached out and stopped him.   
"Where's the professor?" He asked. Alarm bells began to go off in his head.  
"There's no professor here" he insisted.   
"You're pretty strong for a scrawny kid" they were both pushing against the heavy door. "Sure there's not a little Beast in there? Come on, Beastie"

One last push saw the door fly open and the man marched into the mansion.  
"Hey!" Hank called out. He followed him through the entryway to the main staircase. "I said the school is closed. You need to leave"  
"Not until I see the professor"  
Hank reached out, grabbed the man and spun him around.  
"There's no professor here. I told you that!"  
"Look kid, you and I are going to be good friends"

There was no warning before the stranger punched Hank square in the face. The sudden strike caught him off guard and he fell to the ground. The man turned and hurried up the stairs, calling for the professor, obviously searching for Charles.  
He felt the anger in him rising. He didn't know who this man was or what he wanted with Charles but he couldn't let him near him. He felt his beastly side taking over and within seconds he was in his true beast form.  
Beast leapt up the stairs, heading in the direction the man had gone and he threw himself at him, prepared to strike him down in an attempt to keep him from Charles.

The stranger put up much resistance and was very quick to fight back. The two of them stumbled back down the stairs; Beast threw the man onto the table and leapt onto the chandelier, hanging above him and challenging him to make a move.

"Hank?" Charles's voice echoed down the hall. "What's going on here?  
The older man walked down the staircase and took in the sight before him.  
"Professor?" He didn't really recognize the man splayed on the table but he appeared to know him.  
"Please don't call me that" Charles replied.  
"You know this guy?" Beast asked him.  
"He looks... slightly familiar"

They both seemed to have the same thought; was he one of Charles's one night stands? 

"Get off the bloody chandelier, Hank" Charles said to him. He did as asked.  
"You can walk" the man was still on the table.  
"You're a perceptive one"  
"I though Erik-"  
"It's slightly perplexing you managed to miss our sign on the way in. This is private property my friend. I'm going to have to ask him to ask you to leave"

Charles sank down on the steps as the man climbed off the table.  
"Well I'm afraid I can't do that because I was sent here for you"  
"Well tell whoever it was that sent you that I'm... busy"  
"This is going to be a little tricky because the person who sent me, was you"  
"What?" Charles's head was beginning to hurt from his overindulgence the previous night.

"About fifty years from now" the man explained.  
"Fifty years from now, like in the future fifty years from now?"  
"Yeah"  
"I sent you from the future?"  
"Yeah"  
Charles looked at Hank, a look of disbelief upon his face.  
"Piss off" he said.

"If you had your powers you'd know I was telling you the truth" the man said very seriously.  
"How do you know I don't have my... who are you?"  
"I told you"  
"Are you CIA?"  
"No"  
"Have you been watching me?"  
"I know you, Charles. We've been friends for years. I know your powers came when you were nine. I know you thought you were going crazy when it started, all the voices in your head and it wasn't until you were twelve that you realized all the voices were in everyone else's head. Do you want me to go on?"

Charles shook his head subtly from side to side as he stared at this strange man; a stranger who knew such intimate details about him.  
"I never told anyone that" he confessed.  
"Not yet, no but you will"  
"Alright, you've piqued my interest. What do you want?"  
"We have to stop Raven... I need your help... We need your help"  
"I think I'd like to wake up now"

Charles climbed to his feet and made his way into the small office. It would just be perfect timing now that his nightmares about his assault had stopped they were manifesting themselves into another painful memory.   
"What does she have to do with this?" He heard Hank ask.

Both Hank and the stranger followed Charles into the room. The man introduced himself as Logan and explained all of the harrowing details of the doomed future he'd been sent back from.

"Let's just say for the sake of... the sake" Charles began "that I choose to believe you, to help you. Raven won't listen to me. Her heart, her soul belong to someone else now"  
Images of Erik began to fill his mind and he fought desperately hard to hold them at bay.

"I know" Logan replied. "That's why we're going to need Magneto too"  
"Erik?" Hank asked in disbelief as Charles broke down in laughter. "You do know where he is"  
"Yeah"

Charles continued to laugh as he climbed to his feet. It was a mixture of the audacity of Logan's claim and the painful heartache he was already feeling at the thought of seeing Erik again.  
"He's where he belongs" Charles snapped as he walked out of the room and headed for the staircase.  
"That's it? You're just going to walk out?" Logan wondered.  
"Ohhh, top marks, like I said you are a perceptive one"  
"The professor I know would never turn his back on someone who lost their path" he paused to bring the point home. "Especially someone he loved"

The remark cut him deep and he stopped then turned back around to face Logan.  
"You know, I think I do remember you now" he replied. "Yeah, we came to you a long time ago, seeking your help and I'm going to say to you what you said to us then... Fuck off"

Logan reached out and grabbed a fistful of Charles's shirt. He pulled him close, his voice filled with annoyance but also a hint of something else.  
"Listen to me you little shit" he snapped. "I've come a long way and I've watched a lot of people die, good people, friends... if you want to wallow in self-pity and do nothing then you're going to watch the same thing, understand?"

Logan finally released him and Charles took a step back, wondering if the other man had felt it too.  
"We all have to die some time" he finished before turning on his heel and walking up the stairs.


	9. Chapter 9

Charles knew he had to put as much distance between himself and Logan as possible for he was already sensing something between them. He went into his room and gave himself an extra injection in a bid to keep the annoying side effects away a little longer. The moment Logan had grabbed him and he'd felt those large hands pulling at the fabric of his shirt, he'd felt a stirring between his legs.  
Logan was tall and muscular and attractive and Charles was already drawn to him. There must be a very deep connection between them in the future for Charles to tell Logan such intimate secrets about his life... things he never even told Erik.

He closed his eyes and replayed the entire exchange again in his mind. When he reached the part where Logan had grabbed him, he found himself reaching inside his pants. Grasping his cock in his hand, he gave a few affectionate strokes before he heard a knock at the door.

"What?" He growled.  
Assuming it was Hank, he didn't stop his ministrations so was surprised when the door opened and Logan appeared before him. The attractive man seemed surprised at first to find Charles touching himself yet he had to admit it wasn't an unappealing sight.

"Professor?" Logan began as he pushed the door closed.  
Charles stopped and simply stared at him. Logan moved across the room and pointed towards the bed, silently asking permission to sit down. Charles nodded his consent.  
Logan sank down at the foot of the bed; quietly observing this much younger, damaged version of his old friend. In the future he'd left behind, the professor had told him to be patient with his younger self but patience had never been one of his strengths; Logan was more of an 'actions speak louder than words' type of a guy. The young man sitting before him now didn't strike him as the type to be able to listen to reason, not in his current state anyway.

"Professor" he began again.  
"If you call me that one more time..." Charles trailed off. He reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose.  
"You'll what? Swear at me some more?"  
Charles shifted his gaze and stared angrily into Logan's eyes.  
"You know you got it wrong downstairs" Logan began.  
"Got what wrong?" He was beginning to sound agitated.  
"What I said to you back then" he shifted, moving up the bed and closer to Charles. The younger man watched him like a hawk as he came ever closer. He moved right into Charles's personal space, their faces inches apart. "I didn't tell you to fuck off... I said go fuck yourself"

Charles bit his bottom lip and swallowed nervously; his hand still resting between his legs, his eyes still locked with Logan's.  
"So tell me" the older man continued. "Did you?"  
"What?"  
"Did you and Erik go somewhere to-"  
"Piss off" Charles cut him off. He didn't wish to talk about Erik, to remember that day or any other.  
"You did, didn't you?" Logan pressed him for more. "I know all about the two of you, how close you were, how much you loved him"  
"Shut up!"  
"I know you're scared, professor, but we need you, Raven needs you, Erik needs you" he paused, his eyes searching Charles's face. "Seems like Beast has needed you a lot too"

He'd definitely struck a nerve there. Charles visibly tensed, narrowing his eyes at Logan.  
"I can smell him all over you" Logan whispered. "And frankly I'm surprised... you and Hank? Really?"  
"It's not what you think"

Charles rolled off the far side of the bed and moved away, towards the door. He stopped mid-way to pick up a glass.  
"You think you know me?" Charles began. "That we're friends? I can't see it, don't want to see it. You strike me as rude and brash and... impossible... I asked you to leave and you didn't listen; I told you not to mention Erik and you just pushed further; right now, when I look at that smug smile on your face, I'm trying to decide if I should slap it or kiss it"  
"Well I know which one I would prefer"  
"You..." Charles clenched his hand into a fist. He was almost angry enough to hit him.

Logan got to his feet and approached him. Charles took a step back; he wasn't scared of Logan but he was very weary of the obvious attraction between the two of them. He had been a fool to think an extra dose would stop what was happening to his body right now.  
"I'm sorry, prof... Charles" Logan began. "But I don't have a lot of time on my hands. I don't know what I can do to convince you that I am who I say I am and that I'm telling you the truth. The future, my future, depend on our being able to stop Raven from making a mistake"  
"A part of me does believe you" Charles admitted. "You know things about me that I swore I'd never tell a soul... for you to know what you do, I must trust you very much"  
"You're the bravest, strongest, most loyal man I've ever met... I would give my life for you, hell I'm doing that just by being here"

It was indeed very high praise. Something Charles hadn't heard in a long, long time. Logan reached up and gently touched Charles's cheek.  
The professor closed his eyes, subconsciously leaning into his touch. Logan towered over him yet he didn't feel threatened or scared, he felt... warmth pooling in his body. A sense of... familiarity and something else... 

"When we first met" Logan continued. "Years from now, I was like you are now. Lost and uncertain. I had lost my way, my path but you gave me the guidance I needed to get myself back on track. You gave me a home and a family" he paused. "Isn't that something you still want for yourself, Charles?"  
Charles opened his eyes and stared up at Logan from beneath his lashes. 

Logan could see how much of an effect his close proximity was having on the smaller man. He pressed forward, pinning Charles to the closed door. A flicker of fear appeared in his eyes but instantly vanished.  
"Do you think about the future at all?" He asked. "Do you see you and Hank, alone here, growing old together with no other purpose?"  
"Hank and I are not together"

Logan found it amusing that Charles chose that point to correct him on. He moved his hand ever so slightly so that his thumb brushed across Charles's bottom lip. He watched as his tongue flicked out to wet his lips.  
Their bodies were pressed together, so very close that Logan could feel Charles's eagerness digging into him. His hand slipped away from Charles's cheek, down his neck and chest to rest upon his breast. Logan squeezed, hard, causing Charles to groan and his nipple to instantly harden. Charles parted his legs, inviting Logan to move closer but he didn't. He let his hand continue lower until he could cup Charles's cock through his jeans.

"Logan"

He couldn't quite believe what he was doing. He'd come here for help, not to help himself to... whatever was happening here. This was the professor, his friend and mentor, who was slowly grinding against him.  
Sure, he was nothing like the professor he knew in the future. He was unkempt, lost, confused, hurt, sarcastic and unruly. Logan wanted to help him, help him find his way again but was this the right way to go about it?  
He heard Charles whimper his name again and he leaned down until their lips were almost touching.

"Is this really what you want, Chuck?" Logan asked. His breath was warm against Charles's skin, causing goose bumps to form upon his arm.

Charles instantly hated the nickname but Logan had chosen that moment to squeeze him again so he responded the only way he could think of; he initiated a kiss. He raised his arms and wrapped them around Logan's neck; he felt his feet leave the floor as Logan picked him up, wrapping his legs around his waist.

"That's worse than calling me 'professor" Charles murmured. Logan merely chuckled.  
"You'll grow to love it, Chuck" Logan empathized his point by squeezing Charles's ass. He groaned, low and guttural in his throat.

Charles curled his fingers in Logan's hair, tugging gently at the strands at the base of his neck; his tongue was locked in a battle of dominance, wanting to claim and possess Logan's mouth. In turn, Logan was pressing their bodies closer and closer; his hand still caressing the professor's pert ass as their equally hard erections rubbed against each other's.  
"I want you... want you to... to..." Charles managed between kisses.

Was it too soon? Charles didn't even know anymore. He'd been physical with Hank many, many times since the attack but he’d drawn the line at anal sex until very, very recently but Logan made him feel so... comfortable. He hadn't wanted to cross this line with Hank, knowing he couldn't take advantage of his friend in such a way but was that what he was doing now? Logan's teeth nipped at the skin on Charles's neck.

"Fuck me" Charles cried. "Fuck me, now!"

Logan wrenched the professor away from the door and deposited him on the bed. He climbed upon him and covered Charles's smaller body with his much larger, muscular one.   
They continued to grind against each other for several long minutes. Charles reached for Logan's belt, pushing his pants down and freeing his enormous cock. It was much thicker than Hank's and he was secretly relieved he wouldn't have to try to suck it.   
Logan hastily lowered Charles's jeans and grasped both their cocks in his large hand, rubbing them both together and groaned equally as vocally as Charles did. He worked them both in unison as he resumed their intense kissing; Charles bucked his hips appreciatively and tried to keep his breathing even.

"Fuck me" Charles begged. He was already nearing his release but now that he'd seen all that Logan had to give him, he wanted it all, every last inch of him.  
They both sat up as Charles shrugged out of his dressing gown and Logan kicked off his shoes. Charles followed his lead and within seconds they were both naked from the waist down. Logan moved around behind the professor and pulled him close; he grasped his cock and playfully rubbed it up and down the length of Charles's crack.

"Are you ready, Chuck?" Logan whispered before nipping at Charles's earlobe. He closed his eyes and nodded. Then he felt Logan's fingers inside him, working him, preparing him for what was to come.  
He felt a wave of panic wash over him but it passed as soon as Logan grabbed hold of his cock. Charles wriggled his hips, moving into Logan's touch. 

"Fuck me, fuck me" Charles begged.  
"Patience, professor" Logan chuckled as he removed his fingers.  
"I have... uh..." he waved his hand, pointing in the general vicinity of the cabinet. All Logan could see was bottles of alcohol. He reluctantly released Charles and scrambled to the table. Behind the bottles was a box of condoms and some lubricant. He snatched them both up and returned to Charles's side, kissing him deeply as he tried to open the packaging with one hand. Logan positioned himself behind the younger man and slipped the condom over his hardness then he coated his index and middle fingers with a generous amount of lube.   
The sounds that emitted from Charles as Logan thoroughly fingered him was like music to the older man's ears. He felt utterly debauched as he worked his fingers in and out of his friend.  
"Please, Logan, please?" Charles sobbed.

He could hear the desperation in his own voice but he didn't care, all that mattered was what Logan was making him feel. He felt the firm, slicked fingers disappear but he barely had time to whimper before Logan's hard, lubed cock was sliding into him.  
Logan reached around and grasped Charles's cock, ready to pump him to completion but the second his fingers touched the hard flesh, Charles came. He took no offense; Charles had been hard for him since the moment he'd walked in the door. Logan kissed away his embarrassment and continued to move his hips, pounding into Charles and striking his sweet spot each time.  
Logan felt the tears rolling down his cheeks but when he asked Charles if he was okay, the younger man simply waved aside his concerns. He hoped Charles wasn't already regretting this.  
He slipped his hand down to fondle the man's balls and was very surprised to find he was still hard.

"You got some kind of special dick there, Chuck?" Logan asked him.  
"Something like that" Charles replied; he wasn't about to go into specifics right now.  
"Are you going to come for me again?"  
"Uh huh" Charles nodded "I... I... please, just please?"  
Logan picked up the pace with both his thrusts and his strokes, bringing himself and Charles closer to the brink of orgasm. He tugged at the professor's hair, urging him to lean into him. Logan claimed his mouth in a deep kiss as they continued moving together as one.

Charles cried out as he came for a second time. He clung to Logan and he rode out the waves of pleasure of his orgasm. The older man kissed and caressed him as he shot his seed. Charles was just coming down from his high when Logan lost himself in his own intense orgasm.  
They remained locked in their position, Logan's hand on Charles's dick, Charles's hand around Logan's neck and his tongue in his mouth. It was a long time before the two men separated.

It wasn't until Logan had cleaned himself up and readjusted his clothes that he realized Charles hadn't moved. The younger man was lying on his side, hand tucked under his pillow and tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Charles?" Logan sat back down beside him. "Charles, are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"  
"No" he shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong... not at all"  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes, yes... now please go back downstairs... I... I need some time to think"

Logan saw the photo by the bed, the way Charles was staring at it and assumed he knew what was happening inside the professor's mind.   
"Of course" Logan said to him. "Take all the time you need"  
The older man left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Charles waited until he was sure Logan was far enough away before reaching down to grasp his cock. It was one thing to have two erections so close together, he couldn't let Logan know he was already onto number three and unless he was mistaken, number four wasn't very far off.  
The side effects of the serum were getting worse but he couldn't tell Hank. The scientist was disheartened enough by his inability to fix the side effects, the last thing he needed was to drag Hank back down with him.  
No, he would learn to deal with this on his own... even if he did risk giving himself a sprained wrist.

*

Hank was busying himself in the study when Logan came walking back down the stairs. He couldn't quite read the expression on the man's face so he was very curious what the two men had talked about up there.

"That's not the professor I know" Logan stated. "What happened to him?"  
"He lost everything; Erik, Raven, his legs... Even the school. It was up and running for a while there but was over before it truly had the chance to be something. It struck him, hard. He wasn't coping; I stayed to help him... I tried to help him... The serum I designed keeps his powers away, gives him the use of his legs but..." he paused, unsure if he should continue.  
"Other side effects?" Logan asked.  
"Something like that"

He moved to pick up a book and found himself in very close proximity to Logan. The scent struck him so suddenly, so strongly that he froze and glared at the older man.  
"What did you do?" Hank asked. An uneasy feeling passed down his spine and he felt the anger building within him. He began shifting into his beast form.  
"Hey, beastie, calm down" Logan wasn't afraid but he wished to avoid another round with the scientist.  
"I can smell him all over you" Beast growled as he grabbed a fistful of Logan's jacket.  
"Like you're one to talk" Logan replied rather casually. "There's a rather familiar fragrance you seem to be covered in"  
"What did you do?"

Now Logan was growing confused; why did Hank seem so convinced that he was the one who had done something wrong?  
"Listen kid" Logan reached up and wrenched Beast's hand away from him. "There ain't nothing that happened up there that wasn't completely consensual"  
His words seemed to strike a nerve and he saw the look of disappointment in Beast's eyes. For a moment they stared at each other until the scientist returned to his human form, still looking at Logan with hurt in his eyes.

Logan didn't know what to say.  
"He..." he began. "He told me you two weren't together. Did he lie to me?"  
Hank shook his head and averted his eyes.  
"So you're not 'together' then" Logan emphasized the word. "But his scent is all over you...?"  
"It's the serum" Hank confessed. "Those other side effects I mentioned earlier"  
"Ahhhh" it immediately fell into place; explained why Charles had been touching himself when Logan had walked in the room and how he'd managed to get it up again so quickly. "I see"

But there was more to it; Logan could see from the pain in Hank's eyes.  
"Did you..." Hank started to ask but stopped himself. He wasn't sure he really wanted to know.  
"Did I... What?" Logan knew how to push him.  
"Did you..." he took a deep breath then continued through clenched teeth. "Tell me you didn't fuck him"

Logan raised his eyebrows.  
"For two people who aren't together, you sure seem very jeal.... oh" he broke off as the realization hit him. "Oh"  
"What?" Hank snapped.  
"I'm sorry kid; I didn't know"  
"Know what?"  
"That you're in love with the professor"

He watched as Hank's cheeks turned a deep shade of red and he stammered a response that sounded like a no. Logan reached up to offer an understanding gesture but Hank stepped away, nervously pacing the room.  
"If I had known..." Logan tried to soften the blow.  
"You still would have" Hank reasoned. "No one can say no to him..."  
He paused, trying his best not to think about it but the image had already formed in his mind and simply would not go away.

"Was he okay?" Hank heard himself asking.  
"Best I've had in a long time" Logan replied. "Kind of strange though... I mean, it's the professor but he's not, if you know what I mean"  
"No, I don't but that's not what I meant"  
"Then what?"  
"Was he okay? Mentally, physically?"  
"You think there's something wrong with him for being attracted to me?"

Logan felt himself growing angry. Who was he to govern who Charles could or couldn't sleep with? Was he implying that the professor was that far gone that he wasn't aware of what he was even doing?

"He was attacked" Hank explained. He didn't want to go into details but he needed to know what kind of emotional state Charles was in right now.  
"Attacked?"  
"A few months ago... He hasn't been ready for much physical intimacy lately"

"I'll help you get her"  
Charles's voice took them both by surprise; they turned and found him standing at the base of the stairs. 

"You were raped, Charles?" Logan asked him. It made sense now, the quick flashes of fear he'd seen; how Charles had immediately teared up after. 

An expression of fear washed over Charles as his eyes shifted from Logan to Hank and back again before settling on Hank.  
"You told him?" Charles's voice was strained.  
"You slept with him!" Hank declared.  
"Why didn't you say something?" Logan added. "If I had known..."  
"I didn't want you to know" Charles shouted. "It had nothing to do with you" he was still glaring at Hank.   
"Do I need to give the two of you a moment alone?" Logan asked them.  
"Yes" Hank insisted and Charles told him "No"  
"I'll give you a minute anyway"

Logan turned and walked past Charles, out of the room and towards the kitchen. Once out of earshot, Charles rounded on Hank.  
"How could you, Hank?" Charles snapped. "You had no right"  
"No right to be concerned about you?"  
"By telling a complete stranger what happened to me?"  
"A complete stranger? A stranger you slept with and who claims to know everything there is to know about you"

Charles paused, his voice low, defeated.  
"But... Why would you do something like that?"  
"I didn't mean to" Hank admitted. "I was just really, really surprised that you..." he reached out and touched Charles's arm. "I didn't think you were ready for that yet"  
"I didn't know I was either" Charles confessed. "I got caught up in the moment and... I'm sorry. I did not intend to make you worry"  
"You're my friend, Charles, I'll always worry about you"  
They exchanged a small, understanding smile before the older man began to walk away.

"Charles?" Hank asked in a very quiet voice.  
"Yes, Hank?" He paused and turned to look at his friend.  
There was so many things he wanted to say; wanted to ask the older man but now that he was staring into his eyes he just couldn't put them into words.  
"Did you really mean it? Are we really going to help him stop Raven?"  
"Yes, we're going to try"

*

Both Charles and Hank went in search of Logan and found him sitting at the bench with a glass in his hand.

"I'll help you get her" Charles repeated his earlier statement. "Not for any of your...future shite but for her"  
"Fair enough" Logan agreed.  
"I'll tell you this, you don't know Erik. That man is a monster, a murderer.  
You think you can convince Raven to change, to come home, that's splendid but what makes you think you can change him?"  
"Because you and Erik sent me back here together"


	10. Chapter 10

They may well have been the last words either Charles or Hank had expected to hear but they each decided not to dwell on them... Not vocally anyway. 

Putting this information aside and following Logan's suggestion, the three of them devised a plan to break into the Pentagon and free Erik. They knew they couldn't do it alone and quickly set off in search of a young mutant that Logan believed would help them.  
Charles took an instant dislike to Peter; perhaps because he reminded him of several of his first students... all long gone now. He didn't have time for his wise cracks or his attitude but Logan had convinced them that they needed him so Charles played along. In the end, all he had to promise him was the ultimate challenge, of breaking into the Pentagon.

They went over the plan constantly on the drive to the building; Peter was enthusiastic, Logan was determined to succeed, Hank was terrified something was going to go wrong and they would end up locked in a cell next to Erik.   
Charles was still thinking on Logan's words about him and Erik being together in the future. He just couldn't see it himself; not the man Erik had become but perhaps the version he had fallen in love with all those years ago.  
He was utterly terrified of seeing his former lover again. If there were any way he could help Raven without Erik then he would have enacted it but right now he was choice less. In his mind he was already imagining what condition Erik would be in, having been imprisoned for as many years as he had. Erik had been locked up before and it had almost destroyed him; Charles hoped the man he'd once loved was still in there somewhere... even if he didn't wish to see, hear or speak to him right now.

Logan and Charles separated from the tour group and headed down to the Kitchen in a bid to empty the room before Peter brought Erik up from his cell.   
Hank set off the sprinklers and the kitchen staff were quick to take their leave but the guards were harder to convince to leave their post. Charles, having always struggled to come up with a lie under pressure, fumbled as he tried to talk them around. As charming as Logan found Charles's rambling, he was too impatient and took matters into his own hands, knocking the two guards out cold.

"Oh I'm sorry" Logan remarked. "Were you finished?"  
Charles stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say. His solution was to search the nearest guard for his key which he slipped into the lock.  
"Sorry" Charles explained. "I'm just not very good with violence"

He was already on edge and having the water from the sprinklers streaming down on him was just adding to his discomfort. Twenty four hours ago, his biggest concern was what he was going to do when he finished his current bottle of scotch. Now he was in the middle of the pentagon, slightly turned on by the way Logan's body had moved as he'd taken out the guards, dripping with water and any second now he was going to be face to face with the man who had claimed his heart then broken it by running away and taking his sister with him.

The doors behind him finally opened and Charles turned around. Standing before him was Peter and Erik.  
"Charles?" Erik's voice was low and somewhat confused. Peter obviously hadn't told him who was responsible for this prison break.

Charles didn't even hesitate; every angry thought, night spent crying and nursing his broken heart, he took every emotion and projected it into one solid punch to Erik's jaw.  
He wasn't expecting it, was caught completely off guard and went down. Erik sat on the floor, staring up at Charles.  
"Good to see you, old friend" he said "and walking"  
"No thanks to you" Charles spat.

Erik climbed to his feet.  
"You're the last person I expected to see today" he said.  
"Believe me, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to. If we're to get you out of here, we do it my way. No killing"

He saw a tiny glint of a smirk on Erik's face.  
"No helmet" he replied. "I couldn't disobey you even if I wanted"  
"I'm never getting inside that head of yours again" Charles said vehemently as he stepped closer to Erik. "I need your word, Erik"  
They stared into each other's eyes; Charles was fighting his hardest to keep his emotions in check as Erik nodded his head in understanding.

The door behind them burst open as the guards came swarming into the room. Charles turned around, he heard Erik tell him to stop them and shook his head as he admitted he couldn't. All the metal objects in the room began to vibrate as Erik embraced his neglected powers; instinctively Charles reached out to stop him but the guards instantly began to fall over and take themselves out as the hail of bullets managed to miss each of them. Charles looked up and saw Peter grinning from ear to ear and shook his head in disbelief.  
It was Logan who quickly suggested they find Hank and make a hasty exit.

*

Charles was very quiet and subdued on the drive to the airport. He found himself in the backseat of the car with Peter in the middle seat separating him from Erik. He was thankful for Peter's presence as he wasn't ready to be in such close proximity to Erik.

But it wasn't long before he found himself climbing out of the car and saying goodbye to Peter. He passed the keys to him with instructions to return the car on his behalf then he climbed the stairs to the jet.  
Charles stepped on board in time to hear Erik ask where Logan had come from but he wasn't quick enough to stop the older man from telling Erik that he'd been sent back here by the two of them.

He kept his mouth shut as he took a seat and Hank busied himself in the cockpit. Before long they were in the air and on their way to Paris.  
Charles' entire body was tense as he sat stoically in the seat, unable to stop himself from staring at Erik. A million different thoughts plagued his mind as the three men sat in an awkward, uncomfortable silence.

"How did you lose them?" Erik finally voiced his question.   
"The treatment for my spine effects my DNA" Charles replied. He hadn't needed to ask Erik to be more specific in his questioning. 

The older man hadn't met his gaze since boarding the aircraft but his answer finally got a reaction.  
"You sacrificed your powers so you could walk?"   
He could almost hear the disgust in Erik's tone.  
"I sacrificed my powers so that I could sle..." he trailed off as he averted his eyes. He didn't want to share such intimate details with Erik. "What do you know about it?" He couldn't help snapping.  
"I've lost my fair share" Erik replied.  
Charles scoffed.   
"Dry your eyes, Erik" he said to him. "It doesn't justify what you've done"  
"You have no idea what I've done"

Erik was frustratingly calm which only added to Charles' agitation. He could feel tears forming in his eyes and the anger building inside him. He heard Logan try to appease them but both were on their feet. Charles could no longer hold back the anger he was feeling as he launched himself at Erik.

"You abandoned me!" He cried. "You took her away and you abandoned me!"  
Erik simply stared back at him. Their eyes locked together.  
"Angel. Azazel. Emma. Banshee" Erik began to recite names. It was the last thing Charles had expected him to say. "Mutant brothers and sisters all dead"

The anger was building inside Erik now and was manifesting itself as the metal plane around them began to careen out of control.  
"Countless others, experimented on, butchered" Erik continued.   
The plane continued as though in rough turbulence; Charles fell and attempted to brace himself on the couch though Erik remained stoic and angry.  
"Erik!" Charles shouted.  
"Where were you, Charles? We were supposed to protect them. Where were you when your own people needed you? Hiding, you and Hank, pretending to be something you're not"  
"Erik!" Hank was now shouting from the cockpit.  
"You abandoned us all" Erik insisted as the plane finally leveled off.

Charles merely stared up at him with an equal mix of anger and pain upon his face before he climbed to his feet then turned his back and slumped towards the cockpit himself where he threw himself down in the co-pilots seat.

"So you were always an asshole"   
He heard Logan say to Erik.   
'Yes' he thought to himself. Erik was a complete asshole, one that Charles had loved with all his heart... and now feared a part of him still loved him. He angrily pushed that thought aside as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

***

He stayed up front with Hank for over an hour until he grew thirsty and went in search of a glass of scotch. Charles poured himself a drink and sat down in the plush seat close to where the alcohol was kept then he nursed to glass in his hand for quite some time.  
He tried not to think about what Erik had said to him but by forcing himself not to think about Erik, he found he wasn't paying attention to the man himself.

So he was very surprised when Erik appeared beside him and placed an already set up chessboard before him.  
He raised the glass to his lips as he stared up at Erik.  
"Fancy a game?" Erik asked him. "It's been a while"  
"I'm not in the mood for games, thank you" he said as he averted his gaze.  
He watched out the corner of his eye as Erik picked up a glass and his bottle and poured himself a drink.

"I haven't had a sip in ten years" Erik admitted. Charles did not wish to be pulled in by the older man's words, tone, voice... so he purposely kept his eyes fixed on his own drink.  
Even when Erik confessed to not killing the President, Charles' eyes remained averted despite him being unable to resist commenting.  
Hearing Erik admit that he was in fact trying to save the man was what finally got Charles to look at him and ask why.

"Because he was one of us" Erik stated.  
Charles didn't know what to say. He didn't know if he should believe Erik or not but his old friend and former lover had no reason to lie to him and in some weirdly comforting way... it actually made sense.  
He shook his head, more to himself than anything else before he finally spoke.

"You must think me so foolish" Charles said. He looked past Erik to Logan but the older man appeared to be asleep.

Erik moved closer and sat down opposite Charles as their conversation turned to the one thing they appeared to have in common now, how long it had been since either of them had seen Raven.

"I could see why she meant so much to you" Erik whispered as Charles averted his eyes and took another sip of his drink. "You should be proud of her, Charles. She's out there fighting for our cause"  
"Your cause" Charles snapped. "The girl I raised, she was not capable of killing"  
"You didn't raise her; you grew up with her. She couldn't stay a little girl forever, that's why she left"  
"She left because you got inside her head"

Erik smirked and Charles just wanted to slap him... or perhaps kiss him.  
"That's not my power" Erik stated. "She made a choice"  
"And now we know where that choice leads, don't we? She's going to murder Trask, they're going to capture her and they're going to wipe us out"  
"Not if we get to her first. Not if we change history tomorrow"

They both stared at each other for a long time.  
"I'm sorry, Charles" Erik said as he held the younger man's gaze. "For what happened, I truly am"  
Charles shifted uncomfortably under the intense gaze of his former lover. He raised his glass and downed the rest of its contents before turning his attention to the chessboard between them.

"It's been awhile since I've played" Charles lied.   
"I'll go easy on you" Erik said with a smirk. Charles looked up as a memory flashed through his mind of him and Erik and a chessboard; a harmless game that had ended with both of them winning in more ways than one.  
"Might finally be a fair fight" Erik added with a twinkle in his eye.  
"You have the first move" Charles' voice was slightly huskier than usual as he remembered all the times Erik had made the first move on him.  
Their eyes were still locked though Erik shifted his attention to the board for a moment as he used his powers to move the pawn. When Charles looked up and into Erik's eyes, he knew the older man was remembering the same shared experiences he too was trying so hard not to think about.

*

They played two games, managing to win one apiece but just barely. Charles was far too distracted by Erik's intense eyes and the frustrating way he licked his lips, twirled his glass between his fingers and even gently stroked the chess pieces.   
Neither of them spoke as they played, aside from the occasional offering of a refill on the others drink. Charles wasn't even sure how much he'd had but his recent binges meant that he'd really learned how to hold his alcohol. Erik was trying to match Charles's ability to drink but he'd been deprived of alcohol for so many years that he felt it hitting him a little too quickly.  
Being slightly inebriated was possibly what made him do the things he was doing. The subtle ways he tried to get under Charles' defences. He absently picked up a discarded piece and slowly, gently stroked it with his long fingers; Erik could feel Charles's eyes fixated upon his actions.  
He smirked when he saw Charles swallow his discomfort. Erik shifted his gaze, peering over his shoulder to check on Logan. He was fast asleep.

Erik placed his glass upon the table, very close to Charles' hand and casually allowed their fingers to gently brush. The younger man shifted and eased his hand away. Erik wasn't discouraged, simply retracted his own hand and moved a piece across the board.   
This game had a lot resting upon it since they were currently evenly scored. 

Charles knew exactly what Erik was playing at yet he never voiced his objections. He kept his eyes focused on the game before him; even when he felt Erik's leg brush against his, he merely swallowed and shifted in the seat.   
He wanted to blame the serum for the jolt that shot through him and straight to his groin but he couldn't. His body was reacting to Erik's touch simply because it was Erik... the man he had loved so desperately, deeply, whole heartedly. He had loved him with his mind, his body and his soul. Even now, seeing him again after all this time, his body still longed for the touch of his fingers upon his spine, the kiss of his lips. 

"Erik" he intended it to sound like a stern warning but even he could hear the hint of longing in his own voice.

The older man looked up at him with an air of innocence. Charles had seen that look on his face countless times before... usually right before they fell into bed together.  
Charles' gaze shifted from Erik to over his shoulder at the sleeping Logan. He didn't want to raise his voice but he also strongly suspected that Erik wasn't likely to hear him. His former lover did tend to feign deafness whenever Charles attempted to tell him no.

Seeing no other option, Charles got to his feet and headed for the back of the plane. He stopped when he reached the tiny kitchenette and paused to catch his breath. Charles closed his eyes as he leaned back against the wall.  
His body was betraying him; he needed to keep his distance from Erik but that was near impossible in such a confined space. He took several deep breaths in a bid to collect himself.

"Charles?"  
Erik's voice was soft, laced with concern and very close to his ear. Charles opened his eyes and sure enough the older man was standing before him. He was close, too close.  
"Erik-" Charles began to protest but he trailed off when Erik took another step towards him.  
He stared up at him from beneath his lashes, unable to read the expression on his former lovers face. Erik reached up and placed his hand upon Charles's cheek. The younger man closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.

But he didn't want to... He didn't want to be this close to Erik; didn't want Erik's hands on him... Did he?  
He felt Erik's hand urging him to look up at him, to meet his gaze and they stared into each other's eyes.   
For the first time ever, he couldn't use his powers to peek into Erik's mind and it unnerved him... sure, he'd never intentionally invaded his lover's thoughts but it had been comforting to know that he could if he ever needed to, not that he ever did.

Charles held Erik's gaze for a long time; he couldn't move, couldn't speak, all he could do was stare; then Erik moved even closer, leaned down and kissed him. It was everything he remembered it to be and more. He instantly found himself surrendering, returning the kiss with equal vigour and enthusiasm.  
But he quickly snapped out of it, caught up in the thrill of Erik it took him a moment to come to his senses and he pulled away. Charles brought his hand up and placed it upon Erik's chest in a bid to push him away.

"Erik, no" Charles managed to say.  
"Charles" Erik protested.  
"Please, Erik, I... I...."

Erik placed his hand on top of Charles' as his other hand rested upon the younger man's cheek. He leaned forward so their foreheads touched; moved his hips so their groins were almost pressed together. His lips ghosted against Charles', not quite kissing him.  
Charles whimpered; his body was tingling and his desire for Erik was pooling between his legs. He knew the older man could feel it too. Charles tried to pull his hand away but Erik grabbed it, brought it to his lips and kissed his fingertips then he guided it lower, placing it upon his own crotch. Charles could feel Erik's cock hardening at his touch.

"No" Charles protested. "Erik, we can't do this"

He wanted to blame the serum for his own growing excitement but he knew it wasn't at fault. He was. He had always been putty in Erik's hands and now that they were together again it was taking every bit of restraint to control himself… And he was failing miserably.  
Erik's hand groped the front of Charles's jeans. The younger man gasped and bucked his hips as he continued to utter the word 'no' over and over.  
"Erik, no" Charles whispered before Erik dared to kiss him again.

Charles parted his lips, welcoming Erik's tongue into his mouth and he groaned with delight as he ground his hips, rubbing his hard cock against Erik's hand.

"Erik" Charles sobbed. "Erik"  
"I want you, Charles" Erik whispered in his ear before playfully nipping at his lobe.  
"Suck me, Erik.... Please?"

"Hey Chuck" Logan's voice cut loudly through the jet and Charles turned just in time for Logan to appear from around the corner.  
Everything froze as the three men each realized exactly what was happening. Charles was pressed up against the wall with an expression of pure arousal upon his face; Erik was practically dry humping the professor and glaring at Logan for his abrupt interruption.  
Logan himself wasn't sure if he should laugh at the absurdity of the situation or not. He wasn't jealous, not by a long shot but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't surprised... from the way Charles had spoken about Erik when Logan had turned up, he would have sworn Charles wouldn't allow Erik to so much as touch him yet here they were... maybe five minutes away from re-consummating their relationship.

"Am I interrupting something?" Logan asked, despite the obvious answer. "Because Hank needs us back in our seats, we're ten minutes from landing"

Charles separated himself from Erik, keeping his eyes fixed on Logan to avoid having to look at Erik.  
"Thank you, Logan" Charles's heart was beating furiously and his cock was straining against his jeans. "We shall be along in a moment"

He saw Logan raise an eyebrow at him before casting his gaze back and forth between the two men. Logan nodded his head then turned on his heel and returned to his seat.

"Charles?" Erik didn't know what to say though he did curse Logan's timing.  
"Not now, Erik" Charles said. "Not now"

He took a step but Erik reached for his hand, stopping him from walking away. Charles turned back and looked at him. Erik leaned in for one last kiss but Charles retracted his hand and stormed off. Erik started to follow but he watched as Charles walked the length of the jet and into the cockpit.  
Unable to follow him there, Erik returned to their abandoned chess game and sat down.

"Don't be a dick to him" Logan's voice was low but Erik could hear him loud and clear. "The Professor has enough shit to deal with right now"  
"And what would you know about his shit?" Erik snapped.  
"I'm from the future, remember?"  
"A future where he and I are together, correct?"  
"Still no excuse to be a dick right now"  
"I never need an excuse to be myself"  
"Maybe you need to try being someone else... someone worthy of him"

Erik turned and looked at Logan. Something in his voice just didn't sit right and made him feel a touch uneasy. Sure he'd noticed something in the air between Charles and Logan but was this stranger from the future suggesting that he was more worthy of Charles's love than Erik was?  
No... He wasn't going to accept that. He's been separated from Charles for too long, no one was going to come between them now. Erik was going to make sure of it.


	11. Chapter 11

Charles stayed seated in the cockpit with Hank long after the plane had landed. He kept his head down as he tried to calm his body. Being so close to Erik again had stirred up so many memories, ones he'd buried for so long. Yet the second their lips had touched, it was as though the past ten years had never happened. His body had craved the touch and taste of his former lover and he knew it wasn't the serum in his veins causing it.  
So he stayed put while Hank took control of the situation. The younger man spoke over the radio, making plans for the plane and requesting a car but Charles didn't listen to a word of it. He was too aware of the fact that both Erik and Logan were sitting just feet away from him. Logan, a man he'd just met but in the future would bare his soul to yet within ten minutes of meeting had taken into his bed. And Erik... Erik had crashed into his life and taken control of it, he'd completely surrendered himself to his feelings for Erik and not once, at the time, had he regretted it as he'd loved him so passionately, so desperately.  
Now he just felt trapped... He knew he was here to help Raven, to stop her and save the future for all their fellow mutants but he was allowing himself to be distracted by his mixed feelings for Erik and his very recent attraction to Logan.

He sat for a long time until he heard Logan call his name. Charles turned and saw the older man looking at him with an unreadable expression upon his face. It struck him as slightly unnerving, how he was unable to read Logan... he'd always had his powers at his disposal to be able to peek into one’s mind even if he hadn't needed them to know what Erik or Raven were thinking. Logan was a mystery to him, one he found himself wanting to solve.

"You coming, Chuck?" Logan asked him.  
Charles cast his gaze past Logan and realized both Hank and Erik were gone from the plane.  
"I told you not to call me that" Charles replied as he got to his feet.  
"You said not to call you Professor"  
"I also said Chuck was worse"  
"It suits you"

Charles cocked his eyebrow at Logan.  
"Fine" Logan said with a smirk. "Are you... coming... Charles?"  
"Yes, Logan, I'm right behind you"

Logan turned and headed for the exit. Charles followed but his eyes roamed Logan's strong, muscular back. The man was tall and lean and could possibly break Charles in half but being intimate with him was something he really wanted to try again... and he secretly hated himself for having such a desire.  
He stepped off the plane and saw Hank and Erik standing together; they appeared to be arguing over who was going to drive the car. He'd almost forgotten the way they used to banter and it tugged at his heart.

"Hey Chuck" Logan stopped at the base of the stairs. "Sorry, Charles"  
"Is something wrong, Logan?" Charles asked.  
"I uh didn't really interrupt anything between you and Erik. Did I?"  
"No" he felt it was safe to lie since Logan had his back to him. "Your timing was perfect"

*

Hank climbed into the driver's seat while Logan and Erik began to argue over which of them would take the passenger seat. Charles took the opportunity to slide into the backseat behind Hank. It took a few beats before the two arguing men realized that whichever of them didn't sit in the front would get to sit with Charles.  
Logan appeared to draw the conclusion first and quickly opened the door. He climbed in and slammed the door before Erik could protest.

They drove in awkward silence to the hotel; Charles stared out the window, trying his best not to think about Logan or Erik and how badly he wanted to be having sex with one of them. He hated himself; he was here for Raven not his own desires.   
When they reached their destination, Charles was the first one out of the car. He headed straight inside to organize rooms for the four of them. As he waited to check in, his mind wandered to the three men waiting outside for him. Hank, his closest and most loyal friend; Erik, his former lover who still appeared to have claim of his heart.; and Logan, a mysterious stranger from the future who knows scarily intimate details about him.  
All three of them had ended up in his bed. He could hear Hank's voice in his mind from months ago calling him a slut. It hurt but he wasn't exactly wrong.

He felt the tingle of tears beginning to form but was called to the desk before he could allow them to win. The next few minutes passed in a blur as he settled the bill and accepted the keys to their rooms.  
Charles returned to the car and spotted Hank sorting through the meagre luggage they had brought with them. They had, of course, made a stop outside DC to buy necessities for Logan and Erik which Hank was also lifting out of the car. Charles could see Erik and Logan through the closed windows; he couldn't hear what they were saying to each other. He wasn't sure he wanted to know.  
He indicated for them to come inside so the two men stepped out of the car and, along with Hank, they formed a circle around Charles. There in the middle of the dark deserted carpark, with only the streetlight illuminating them, they all saw the same thing and all instantly drew the same conclusion.   
Charles was holding three keys in his hand. Three room keys for four people. In just a few minutes, two of them would be sharing a room and quite possibly even a bed. The air became filled with anticipation as each of them looked to the other. No one had said a word yet as they eyed each other and the keys.

Charles cleared his throat as he too stared at the keys in his hand. It wasn't until he looked up and saw all three of them staring at him that he realized his mistake... No, it hadn't been a mistake. It was purely logically thinking. Erik could not be trusted to be alone tonight; someone needed to keep a watchful eye on him. But who?  
Logan was possibly the smartest choice. He seemed to be able to get under Erik's skin, so perhaps Erik was least likely to attempt an escape on Logan's watch.  
Hank was perhaps the wiser choice. He had a history with Erik, knew what the older man was capable of plus Hank had his Beastly powers to assist him if he needed to overpower Erik should he try to sneak away.

Charles toyed with the keys for a moment longer before he sighed in defeat.  
"It's not exactly the Ritz" he stated. "But we must remain anonymous. Especially you, Erik, we may be in another country but you became rather famous and I'd prefer word not reach Raven that we're here in case it inspires her to run"  
"I know it's late, Charles" Hank spoke up. "But maybe we should eat something?"  
"I'm not hungry" Logan and Erik stated at the same time.  
Charles ignored them both and nodded in agreement.   
"I can maybe go find something" Hank suggested.

Logan held his hand out for one of the keys.   
"Bring me back a sandwich?" He asked. "And I'll keep an eye on Erik while you're gone"

Charles wasn't too keen on the idea of splitting up but he was very paranoid that Erik would blow their cover. If he remained in the hotel with Logan then they would all be safe.  
He reluctantly agreed and handed a key over to Logan. Hank handed the bags to Erik who cast him a very unflattering glare. He wondered if Erik was jealous that Charles was going with him while leaving Erik behind with Logan. There was no time to dwell on it though for Charles was already making his way across the carpark to the small cafe on the corner.  
Hank couldn't resist shooting a smug smile in Erik's direction before he turned and hurried after Charles.

*

Both Erik and Logan sat in awkward, angry silence together. Erik wanted a shower but he and Logan had been staring at each other for nearly ten solid minutes and he didn't want to break the cycle. He wanted Logan to know he was just as determined as he was in every aspect of his life not just where Charles was involved.  
Logan was the first to move but only to reach for his cigar. They quickly resumed staring at each other.

"You said Charles and I sent you back here together" Erik finally spoke.  
"Yeah" Logan agreed. "You did"  
"So he and I are together fifty years from now?"  
"There's a war going on; lots of casualties on both sides... we've lost too many friends to not be on the same side anymore"  
"But Charles and I are together?"  
"You keep saying that"  
"Because you're not answering me"  
"If this plan works, if we stop Raven" Logan explained. "Then my future, the future I came here from, won't exist anymore"  
"I just need to know..."  
"Need to know what?"  
"That he forgave me"

For the first time since meeting this younger version of Erik, Logan felt a hint of compassion for him. He could physically see how much Erik's actions towards Charles had deeply hurt the man. Logan had always known of the bond shared between Charles and Erik yet he'd really only ever seen it from Charles's side.

"He never blamed you, Erik" Logan told him before taking a long draw from his cigar.  
"He was rather adamant on the flight over"   
"Charles is hurting; he's a very different person to the man I know in the future. Right now, he's lost, hurt, broken"  
"Because of me"

Erik finally moved from his spot at the small table and reached for the bag Charles had given him for his clothes. He opened it and produced a bottle of scotch.   
Logan stared but didn't say anything.

"What?" Erik asked as he opened the bottle and took a sip.  
"Where did you...?"  
"The plane"  
"When? How?"  
“I never waste an opportunity" he held the bottle out for Logan, offering it to him. The older man accepted it and took a long sip before handing the bottle back to Erik.

"Do you remember me?" Logan asked after a few minutes of silence. Erik looked at him, confused.  
"Should I?" He wondered.  
"It was a long time ago; you and Charles came up to me in a bar, tried to recruit me and I told you to-"  
"To go fuck ourselves" Erik finished.  
"You do remember then"  
He held his hand out for the bottle and Erik gave it to him. Logan took another mouthful.  
"Charles was very disappointed" Erik confessed.  
"Well, I'm sure you found a way to... cheer him up"  
"Indeed"  
Erik snatched the bottle back and nursed it. They were both quiet for a long time, each lost in thought.

The minutes that ticked by felt like hours until the refreshing sound of someone knocking at the door brought them around; Logan rose to his feet and cautiously crossed the room.

"Logan?" The door muffled Charles's voice but the sound did fill him with a hint of relief. He opened the door and ushered Charles and Hank inside.  
The door had barely closed before Hank started rambling about it being very late and them having a very busy day coming up. Charles handed a paper bag to Logan with an apologetic smile. The older man accepted it gratefully.

The four men were, once again, very aware that the sleeping arrangements for the night had still not been settled. Charles reached into his pocket and handed one of the keys to Hank before turning to look at Erik, his eyes came to rest upon the bottle of scotch.

"Where did you...?" He started to ask. "Oh never mind"  
Charles moved towards him and snatched the bottle from his grasp.  
"Come along, Erik" he said through gritted teeth.

"Are you sure, Chu... Charles?" Logan was the first to argue.  
The younger man looked up at him with a look of determination in his eyes.  
"Believe me I wish there were another way" Charles explained. "But I wish to keep an eye on him myself"  
Charles turned his back, not wishing to see the looks Logan and Hank would so obviously be directing at him.

Erik was more than happy to follow Charles from Logan's room. Even when he heard all three of them agree to keep their doors unlocked in case there was trouble, he merely caught Logan's hard gaze and smiled very smugly at him but he didn't fail to see the hurt expression on Hank's face.  
He wondered if perhaps there was something going on between Charles and Hank that he should know about but he pushed it aside, now was not the time to be thinking of anyone else for he was about to spend an entire night alone with Charles in a hotel room... something they had not done in a long, long time.  
It was going to be an interesting night.

*

Hank stood in the hall watching Charles and Erik together as an uneasy feeling washed over him. He knew it wasn't his place to say anything; he'd already tried to talk the older man out of his decision during dinner but Charles had already set his mind to it. He was determined to keep a watchful eye on Erik himself.

Charles unlocked the door and pushed it open then indicated for Erik to go ahead. He turned to Hank, to bid him goodnight and saw the look on his face.  
"Hank, it's fine" Charles assured him.  
"You know I don't trust him" Hank replied. "I didn't think you did either"  
"It's for my own piece of mind"  
"Charles-"  
The older man reached out and placed his hand on his friends arm.  
"Goodnight Hank" he leaned up and placed a kiss to Hank's cheek before turning on his heel and heading towards his room.  
Hank was quick to reach out and take Charles's hand. He leaned down and whispered in his ear.  
"Keep the door unlocked, please?"   
"You're being paranoid, Hank" Charles said with a smile. He stepped into the room and pushed the door closed. He didn't lock it.

*

Erik had, of course, been watching the whispered exchange between Charles and Hank. The most surprising moment was witnessing the gentle way Charles kissed Hank's cheek and the expression on the younger man's face. He wondered how long it had been since Hank had fallen for Charles; he also couldn't help wondering if Charles even had so much as an inkling. He suspected his former lover had no idea of the feelings radiating from Hank.   
Erik contemplated poking the bear. He sank down in the chair and examined the younger man. 

"It has been a long time" Erik stated, carefully watching for a reaction.  
"If you have something to say, Erik, just say it" Charles snapped.  
"How long has that been going on?"  
"How long has what been going on?"  
"That!"  
Charles sighed. "Erik, please, I'm not in the mood for this"  
"How long has Hank been in love with you?" Erik asked.

From the expression on Charles's face, it was very clear the younger man had no idea what he was talking about.  
"I... Hank... Don't be ridiculous, Erik"  
"Fine... it must have just been my imagination"  
"Don't push this Erik"

Charles shot him a very hard glare before pushing past him. He stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door closed in anger. His heart was racing and he felt himself seething at Erik's words. His lover had always known how to get a rise out of him. He tore his clothes off and stepped into the shower. The water was tepid at best but it helped to calm him down a little.  
He'd only been in the shower a few minutes when he froze and cursed himself. What had he been thinking?  
He'd purposely put himself in a room with Erik to ensure he could watch over him himself and here he was, barely five minutes had passed and he'd already neglected his duties. He hastened out of the shower and frantically dried himself before throwing the door open.  
Erik was sitting on the bed, the scotch bottle in his hands, legs stretched out before him with no shoes on.

"Now there's a familiar sight" Erik said with a smile.  
"You're still here" Charles said with a small sigh of relief.  
Erik's eyes roamed every inch of Charles's body. The younger man instantly regretted his decision to leave the bathroom covered in nothing more than a towel.  
"Why would I leave when I have a stunning vision like you before me?"  
"Erik"

Erik reached up and slowly began to untie his cravat. He watched Charles watch his every movement.  
"It's been awhile, Charles" Erik started, his eyes still lingering upon Charles's naked chest. "Since the last time we were in a hotel room together"  
"It was a lifetime ago, Erik"  
"Is there a reason why you volunteered to watch over me tonight? I'm certain both Logan and Hank would have been much wiser choices"  
"Are you suggesting I have an ulterior motive?"  
"Of course not, Charles"  
He slowly got to his feet and crossed the room. Erik stopped just shy of Charles then he reached out, gently brushing his fingers up his arm. Charles gasped at the touch then he swallowed nervously.

"Hank and I have been sleeping together for months" Charles blurted out. Erik froze and cocked his head in surprise.  
"What?" He exclaimed.  
Charles tried to take a step back but Erik tightened his grip and held him close. The younger man closed his eyes, unable to look at his former lover.  
"I don't expect you to understand"  
"Try me"

Erik eased his grip but carefully ushered Charles across the room and eased him down onto the bed; the one double bed in the room. Now that he was closer, Erik's eyes could see more of Charles's body. There were bruises upon the younger man's hips; he recognized them immediately, having left similar marks upon Charles himself many years ago.

"What's this?" He tried to keep the anger from his voice as he softly touched the tinged skin. Charles looked down at where he was pointing. "Does he get rough with you, Charles?"  
"No" he replied. "That... uh..." he reached down himself and gently touched Erik's hand "That was... Logan"  
"Logan? Charles, I... Didn't you just meet him yesterday?"

The younger man leapt to his feet, anger boiling inside him.  
"What? Did you think I've become celibate? That no one would ever compare to you? You think I've been alone all these years, just waiting for you to come back into my life? Did you think it had been ten years since my last good, hard fuck?"  
Anger was building inside Erik too. He wasn't sure if it was from jealousy or the fact that he himself had not had sex in ten years. Charles had become the slut that Erik used to be before meeting the younger man.  
Erik reached up, gripped a fistful of Charles's long, damp hair and held him firm as he leaned in and kissed him deeply. There was only a hint of resistance from him as he surrendered quickly to the touch and taste of Erik. He felt the familiar tug of Erik's fingers in his hair, the dominant tongue probing into his mouth and the large cock pressing against his own. His entire body was already craving anything Erik wished to do to him.

It was wrong. It was still too soon, wasn't it? Sure he'd given it up for both Hank and Logan already and it wasn't as though Erik was a stranger. He knew every inch of the man's body, just as Erik knew his. He wanted this; he wanted Erik. But he also wanted him to know the truth.  
As the towel slipped away, revealing his naked body to Erik, Charles looked up at him and placed his finger to Erik's lips, effectively stopping him from speaking.

"The treatments for my spine not only affect my powers" Charles stated. "It also affects my libido"  
"Is that why you're already hard for me, Charles?" Erik asked.  
"It's why I've been sleeping with Hank" he confessed. "And why I let Logan..."  
"Why are you telling me this?"  
"Because… It's not affecting me now; this is all you, Erik"  
"And on the plane… When you wanted me to…?"  
"I still want you to, Erik, I want you to suck me and fuck me"

Erik reached down and grabbed Charles' pert ass cheek, squeezed it affectionately before claiming his mouth in a deep, lingering kiss. He lifted Charles off the ground and Charles quickly wrapped his legs around Erik's waist. They continued exchanging lingering kisses until Erik lost his footing and fell back onto the bed with Charles in his lap but still they continued to kiss as Charles bucked his hips, rubbing his hard, naked cock against the bulge in Erik's pants.

"Do you think less of me?" Charles asked between kisses.  
"What makes you ask that?"  
"That I used both Hank and Logan for my own sexual needs"  
"On the contrary, Charles. I feel rather competitive; knowing they’ve both had you recently. I have a lot of time to make up for"  
He rolled them both over so Charles was now pinned beneath him. Erik loved having control over a naked Charles.   
"I know we shouldn't be doing this, Erik" Charles whispered. "But it doesn't make me want you any less"  
"If anything, it makes me want you even more"

Erik leaned closer, his lips claimed Charles's who in turn wrapped his arms around the older man's neck, preventing him from moving away. Erik slid his hand down Charles's chest, brushing his thumb over his nipple. This caused Charles to groan and buck his hips.  
They stayed like that for a long, long time. Their hands and lips exploring each other's bodies, reacquainting themselves with familiar erogenous spots and simply enjoying the feeling of being together again after so many years apart.  
Erik's lips were like a drug that he couldn't get enough of. Each time they parted for breath, Charles would quickly close the distance and claim his lips yet again. This suited Erik just fine for it showed just how much Charles still wanted him.

He was reluctant to stop but there was still so much more of Charles's body that he wished to reacquaint himself with. Erik managed to tear himself away from Charles's lips long enough to treat other delectable parts of his body to the same onslaught of kisses. He left a trail down the younger man's chest to his navel as his hand ghosted above his already semi-hard cock.  
He kissed, licked and teased Charles's stomach and abdomen while his fingers teased his lover's balls.

Charles had almost forgotten what an attentive lover Erik had been. He had mistakenly assumed the older man would be selfish in bed but he couldn't have been more wrong for Erik was the type of lover who enjoyed bringing pleasure to others. He had perfected the art of foreplay and could spend hours worshipping every inch of Charles's body.

The younger man suspected that perhaps Hank had the potential to be as attentive as Erik... if Charles ever gave him the chance. He had never been able to completely surrender himself to Hank the way he so often had for Erik but surely that was because the circumstances were entirely different.  
Or maybe not... when Hank had made his generous offer to help Charles, he hadn't known the younger man was gay and had truly felt that Hank needn't subject himself to such ways simply for Charles's sake. Perhaps he wouldn't have been so hesitant if he'd known but then there was the other matter to consider. Erik was under the impression that Hank was in love with Charles. If it were true, had he felt this way all along or had his feelings developed once they'd started sleeping together? Had Charles unknowingly been playing with Hank's heart all this time?

"Charles?" He tried to ignore the voice of reason niggling at the back of his mind until he realized the voice speaking to him was Erik. He opened his eyes, not realizing he'd closed them, and stared into the confused eyes of the older man.  
"Charles" Erik almost sounded amused. "I'm doing some of my best work here" he cocked his wrist to emphasize his point "yet you don't seem to be making those adorable purring sounds I love hearing"  
"I'm sorry, Erik" he sat up and smiled at him in what he hoped was an apologetic expression.  
"Is something wrong, Charles?"  
"Why would you imply that Hank is in love with me?" He blurted out.

"Because… it’s true" Erik stated.  
"But how could you possibly know that?"  
"I have eyes, Charles. That young man is completely smitten. I mean, how could he not be? All these years you've spent together, the boy would have to be crazy not to fall for you"

Charles shook his head in disbelief.  
"I had no idea" he admitted. "How could I have not seen it?"  
"If I were him, in his position, I would have kept it from you... fear of losing you or getting too close and inadvertently managing to screw it up"  
"But I've been sleeping with him for weeks... months... have I been cruelly mistreating him all this time?"

Erik sighed and crawled up the bed; he pulled Charles down with him so they were lying together. Charles's back pressed against Erik's chest; Erik's arm around Charles's waist. He still had hopes that they would resume their activities but he knew he wouldn't get anywhere until the younger man could get his thoughts sorted.

"Talk to me, Charles" Erik whispered in his ear as his hand softly caressed his lover's chest.  
"I should talk to Hank" he replied.  
"Talk to me first, talk me through it... how did you end up in Hank's bed?"  
"He saved me"  
"From your powers?"  
Charles turned and looked into Erik's intense eyes.  
"From being gang raped"   
He felt Erik's body tense around him but the older man didn't say a word so he continued.  
"I told you the serum makes me want sex... I was a bit careless in finding bedfellows and one night my companion for the evening invited a few friends to join us. They blindfolded and gagged me then explained in rather graphic detail what each intended to do to me and when they removed the gag, I screamed for help and Beast came to my aid. A few weeks later, I told Hank about the side effects of the serum and he begged me not to bring anymore strangers into the mansion. He was worried about me and he offered to help"  
Erik nodded his head in understanding.  
"I put him off for a long time" Charles added. "But the longer I tried, the worse it got until one night when I gave in... but I promise I had no idea of his feelings for me"  
"Would it have made a difference? I mean, you still would have fucked him, right?"  
"I don't know"  
"And where does sex with Logan factor into all this?"  
"A mix of several factors... he's attractive, the serum was running its course and we were both very eager"  
"I'm still rather eager myself" Erik stated.  
"Yes" Charles agreed. "I can feel your eagerness against my arse right now actually"  
Erik smiled and stole a quick kiss.

"I'm sorry, Erik" Charles said to him. "But I must talk to Hank and clear the air; please understand"  
He did understand all too well but it didn't make it any easier to watch his dream for the past ten years leave his arms without even a kiss goodbye.


	12. Chapter 12

Charles had barely made it to his bag when he found himself in Erik's strong arms. The older man held him close, staring into his eyes as their hearts beat furiously in sync.

"Erik, please?" Charles whispered.  
"Stay with me, Charles" Erik replied. He reached up and placed his hand upon his lover's cheek. "Please, just think about this, what exactly are you going to say to him?"  
"I... I don't know"  
"Don't go waking him up in the middle of the night if you don't even know what you're going to say... unless you're going to tell him that you love him too then let the man sleep and break his heart in the morning"

Charles really didn't want to break Hank's heart but he didn't think he could profess his own undying love for his friend either. Erik was right; he couldn't talk to Hank until he knew exactly what he wanted to say and he wasn't going to know what he wanted to say until he knew exactly how he felt.  
Erik could see the cogs of Charles's mind whirring and he gently stroked his thumb across the younger man's cheek before leaning down and kissing him. It took but a moment for Charles to return the kiss.

"You need to decide what you want, Charles" Erik whispered.  
"I want you, Erik" Charles replied without hesitation. 

Erik lifted him off the ground and spun them both around. He deposited Charles on the bed and swiftly climbed on top, completely covering the smaller man's body with his own and bringing their lips together in yet another deep kiss. Charles reached up and slowly unbuttoned Erik's shirt. He pushed the garment from his shoulders and tossed it aside as they continued to exchange heated kisses. Erik ran his hand down Charles's arm to his wrist until their fingers entwined. He hadn't realized how much he'd craved the physical touch of his former lover until now.  
They kissed for a long time; Charles's hand still clinging to Erik's as they ground against each other. Erik slid down the bed, his lips once again exploring his lover’s chest down the length of his body to his cock. He reached out and softly ran his index finger down the length.

"I hated you for a long time" Charles confessed. Erik paused his ministrations. "I hated myself too… for missing you, missing this"  
"I never meant to hurt you, Charles"  
"I know"  
He leaned forward and kissed Erik before the older man shifted, easing Charles onto his stomach then Erik caressed his back; his fingers trailing down the curve of the younger man's back to cup his cheeks. Erik's eyes rested upon the small scar on his lower back and he couldn't look away. Charles must have felt his body tense up and obviously knew the cause for his next words caught him unawares.  
"It doesn't hurt" he said. "You can... touch it if you want"

Erik stayed firm for a moment, uncertain if he should, then his hand was moving and his finger touched the scar. He felt tears forming in his eyes and forced them back as he leaned down and placed his lips to the mark in a gentle kiss.  
"I'm sorry" he whispered.

"Let's talk about something else" Charles suggested in a bid to change the subject.  
Erik swiftly moved his hand lower and started to work his finger in and out of Charles's crack.  
"Something else?" Erik tried to think of anything to say. "So just how many lovers have you had since me?"  
"Erik-"  
"You said to talk about something else. The serum made you crave sex so just how much did you have?"  
He dipped his finger between the cheeks to prod his hole. Charles bit his lip.  
"A lot, I guess" he closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Erik's fingers.  
"You guess?"  
"Well I didn't exactly keep a running total in my head"  
"Really? How unlike you, Charles"  
"I kept a journal"  
Erik chuckled.  
"A journal?"  
Charles nodded as he felt Erik parting his cheeks. He knew what was coming next and grasped the pillow.  
"Tell me more about this journal" Erik sounded as calm as ever as he distracted the younger man. He'd hoped Charles hadn't noticed his actions but his lover had always been very perceptive.  
"You want me to talk you through all my sexual encounters right now?"  
"Of course not, Charles, I just wished to distract you"

The words had barely left his mouth when Charles felt the familiar prodding of Erik's skilled tongue lapping at his puckering hole. The younger man began to purr with delight. Erik was the only man to ever explore his ass in such a way. He fisted the pillow as wave after wave of excitement washed over him. Erik smiled into Charles's ass; his lover was making the delectable sounds that Erik loved extracting from him.  
It felt like hours passed as Erik alternated his tongue and fingers to send Charles closer and closer to the brink. They were both surprised that Charles hadn't come yet though Erik was secretly glad; he wanted this to last as long as possible, all night if they both had the stamina.  
Charles reached out, his hand flailing about in search of his bag.

"Looking for something, Charles?" Erik asked.  
"Lube" he gasped. "In my bag"

Erik sensed the zip on Charles's travel bag and brought it closer. Using his powers, he opened the metal zip and reached in with his free hand to retrieve the supplies they would need. He tossed the bag aside then began to remove his pants.  
Charles watched eagerly as Erik's large, hard cock was unveiled before him and he licked his lips. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around the long thick shaft.  
It was Erik's turn to groan with delight. He hadn't been touched so intimately by another in so long; the fact that the man stroking him right now was Charles was just the icing on the cake. He moved closer, climbing back onto the bed and wrapped his arms around Charles. Their naked bodies pressed against each other as Erik kissed him hungrily. Charles adjusted his grasp, wrapping his fist around both their cocks and jerking them off at the same time.

"Charles"  
Erik's voice sent shivers down his spine. It was almost as though the past ten years hadn't happened. He could almost believe they were still on a mission for the CIA, recruiting mutants by day and sharing their bodies by night.   
Almost.  
For the last ten years HAD happened. They had both been through so much, had lost so much including each other and neither of them were the young men they had been when they'd first met. Yet deep down, both felt their feelings for the other were perhaps the one thing that hadn't changed despite the years separating them.

Erik shifted their position, released Charles and pushed him down onto his back. He wrapped his long fingers around his lover's hardness as he kissed another trail down the younger man's chest all the way down to his dripping cock. Erik grinned a wicked grin and winked at Charles before he leaned down and engulfed the hard shaft.  
Charles cried out, perhaps a little too loudly, as Erik feverishly sucked him. He closed his eyes, revelling in the waves of pleasure that swept over him as Erik teased and touched him.   
Erik went all out, using every trick he could remember to send Charles closer and closer to the brink of orgasm. He was more determined to make it as pleasurable as possible each time Charles made the familiar purring sound Erik had mentioned earlier. It felt like hours that Erik worked him to the point that he thought he couldn't take it anymore and he begged Erik to make him come. 

Charles clamped his hand over his mouth to stifle his scream of pleasure as he came deep in Erik's throat. He stared as Erik climbed up his body and kissed him deeply. He could taste himself in his lover's mouth and groaned into the kiss.  
"Make love to me, Erik" Charles whispered. "Please?"  
"You always were the polite one, Charles" Erik murmured as he kissed the younger man's neck.

This was not how he'd thought the evening would progress; sure he'd known from the moment he'd chosen to keep a watchful eye on Erik that they would inevitably have sex but Charles had envisioned it in the same way his encounter with Logan had played out, very rough and very quick, running on adrenaline and lust alone but all that had flown out the window the second Erik had kissed him. Now all he wanted was to spend the entire night making slow, passionate love to the man.  
Charles blindly felt around for the condoms and lube then he sat up, forcing Erik off of him. Erik settled beside Charles, just watching him in admirable silence as he toyed with the packaging. He looked up and their eyes met; Erik could see the lust and desire in his deep blue eyes. He found himself leaning in for yet another kiss.

Charles smiled almost shyly once they parted. He reached up and placed his hand upon Erik's cheek.  
"It's been awhile" he said very softly "but can I...?"  
Erik merely nodded his head yes before gently kissing Charles's palm.  
His lover's smile lit up his entire face; Erik couldn't believe he'd almost forgotten just how beautiful Charles was. Even now with the longer, straggly hair and dull hint of stubble. He was still so beautifully his Charles.

The younger man moved down the bed then reached out and wrapped his hand around Erik's cock.   
Erik may have been the expert when it came to foreplay but Charles had a very specific routine he liked to follow to ensure they were safe. He moved his grasp up and down the length several times before taking the very tip into his mouth, his tongue teasing the head. Erik groaned, a low guttural sound that went straight to Charles's groin. He greedily sucked on Erik's growing erection for several long minutes before easing the condom over the shaft.  
Charles handed the lube to Erik as he climbed into his lover's lap and kissed him deeply. Working together they opened the tube and applied a generous amount to Erik's fingers. They continued kissing as Erik's lubed digits teased Charles's hole.

"Please, Erik" Charles whispered. "Please?"  
"Please, what, Charles?"  
"Fuck me, love me"

With another guttural groan, Erik flipped them over so Charles was splayed on his back beneath him. The younger man parted his legs and grasped the pillow in his fist as Erik's large hardness entered him. He reached up, pulled Erik close and kissed him; his tongue claiming possession of his lover's mouth. The kiss was fierce and desperate to begin with before Charles eased off to match the slow rhythm of Erik's powerful thrusts.   
Time froze as they were transported back ten years earlier, to nights like this when they were forced to share a bed in a random hotel. Both usually on a natural high brought on by the excitement of their CIA mission. They had spent many nights like this, in each other’s arms, making slow tender love...   
Charles could feel his cock stirring again and heard himself sigh.

"Charles?" Erik sounded concerned.  
"I'm fine" he assured him with a kiss.  
Erik gently stroked his cheek, pushing his hair from his face and staring into his eyes. "But I think the serum has really messed with my body"  
"Are you saying I'm not the reason you're getting hard again?"

Charles wrapped his legs around Erik and lunged towards him, flipping them both so he was now straddling the older man.  
"Oh I think you're most definitely a part of the cause" Charles said with a smirk as he rolled his hips, urging Erik in deeper. From this new position all Erik could do was stare up at Charles in disbelief. He'd spent ten years wishing for the chance to make love to this man just once more and it was finally happening. He wasn't sure what he'd done to earn this miracle but he never wanted to bubble to burst... or worse, wake up to discover these past few hours had just been some terrible dream!  
As Charles continued to bounce up and down on Erik's cock, the older man tried to think of something to say but Charles didn't appear to be in a talkative mood. All he wanted was to be kissing Erik; something Erik was not going to deny him of.  
They were so in sync that their lovemaking was bordering on perfection. Erik was scared his sex deprivation would cause him to come too soon but even his body seemed to know how important it was to make it last as long as possible. He touched, caressed, kissed and teased Charles as much as he could while they made love. Once he sensed his approaching orgasm, he increased the pace, pounding into the younger man and hitting just the right spot to make Charles cry his name in ecstasy over and over.  
He squeezed his eyes shut, his fingers digging into Erik's waist as his lover came. He immediately wished they'd forgone the condom, missing the feeling of Erik's seed filling him to completion. Charles collapsed atop of Erik, burying his face in the older man's neck and tenderly kissing the skin. 

Erik was struggling to draw breath but he could happily die of asphyxiation right now, bathed in the afterglow of making sweet, passionate love to the perfection of Charles Xavier.  
He reached down and placed his hand to Charles's chin. Erik urged him to look up, their eyes met and Erik kissed him. Charles smiled a sleepy smile back before resting his head on Erik's chest. He hadn't come a second time, his cock was almost rock hard but he didn't have the energy to work himself to completion.   
Charles closed his eyes for a moment but opened them when he felt Erik moving beneath him.   
"Erik, keep still, I wish to sleep" he murmured.

"Really, Chuck?" A voice from faraway said to him. "Sex then straight to sleep?"  
Charles shot right up, suddenly wide awake as he saw a bare chested Logan standing by the closed door.

"Logan?" Charles exclaimed. "What... what are you doing here?"  
"I came to check on you" he drawled. "Neither of you were being very quiet so it wasn't like I was going to be able to get any sleep"  
"Well, as you can see, we're finished so you can go back to your room and sleep now" Erik interrupted.  
"You're finished?" Logan chuckled. "With Charles looking like that?"  
"Like what?" Erik asked through gritted teeth.  
"Rock hard with arousal and completely unsatisfied"  
"Unsatisfied?"

Erik sat up; anger filling him, yet Charles reached out and stopped him from getting up. They sat side by side on the bed, Charles's gaze shifting from Erik to Logan and back again. He leaned over and kissed Erik.  
"I have never been so turned on as I am right now" he whispered to Erik before turning to look at Logan.

There was a very unusual vibe in the room; one that Charles very much wished to explore. He reached for Erik's hand and held it firmly as he gazed up at Logan with lust-filled eyes.  
"You believe Erik left me... unsatisfied?" Charles asked Logan.  
"I'd never leave you hanging, Chuck" Logan responded.  
"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to do something about it?"

Logan's gaze shifted from Charles to Erik. He could feel the anger radiating from the other man; he wondered how long Erik could hold his tongue. Charles was basically telling Logan to take him right here in front of Erik... surely that wasn't going to sit right with him yet Logan had a suspicion that Erik could never deny Charles something he desperately wanted.

Erik's only response was to kiss Charles. A deep, fiercely passionate embrace; his fingers entwined in Charles's straggly hair, his other had reached for his cock which was still standing to complete attention.  
Logan stood fixed to the spot; he knew he could walk away and forget what he'd just seen but did he really want to? This Charles was nothing like he'd expected him to be, was he really going to turn down the opportunity to have him again? And in front of Erik, no less; Logan had spent years trying to best Erik, taking Charles right before his eyes could be his greatest feat yet. He wasn't dumb enough to turn that down, was he?

The two were still kissing yet he sensed Charles watching him, waiting to see what he would do. Erik's lips left Charles's, kissing his jawline and neck. The younger man leaned into the onslaught of Erik's kisses yet his gaze fixed onto Logan's and they stared at each other as Charles began to moan Erik's name appreciatively.  
Hearing Charles say Erik's name was what propelled him towards the couple. He wanted to hear his name said in such a way. Logan was by the bed and roughly shoving Erik's hand aside before he could stop himself. Erik turned, irritated by the interruption, but before he could say anything, Charles was kissing him. He pressed his body closer to the younger man's, his fingers teasing his nipple. Erik couldn't see what Logan was doing but the reaction from Charles when the other man took his cock into his mouth was enough to make Erik's own cock twitch.  
He had known for a long time that Charles's ultimate sexual fantasy was to be with two men at once yet Erik had never wanted to share. Here right now was possibly the first time Charles's dream could become a reality and Erik didn't want to be the one to ruin it.

"Do you like that Charles?" Erik whispered in his ear. His only response was an excited groan. He smiled; Charles was such a breathtaking sight. Erik felt that he could watch something so beautiful for hours but he couldn't simply look and not touch.  
Charles was very vocal in his appreciation of both men. He reached down and tangled his left hand in Logan's hair while his right hand snaked its way into Erik's locks. He tried not to move his hips too enthusiastically but he wanted Logan to keep going and going and going.   
Once again he almost regretted not having his powers right now; he longed for a way to communicate with Erik without Logan overhearing. 

"I want you" Charles whispered in Erik's ear. "I want you both"  
"Isn't that what you're getting, Charles?" Erik replied.  
He responded with a low, excited cry as Logan started teasing his balls. He wanted to come but something seemed to be stopping him. The serum truly had messed up his body.

Charles tugged at Logan's hair, urging him to look up at him. Their eyes locked and he urged him up. Logan crawled up the bed to claim Charles's lips; in turn, Erik resumed Logan's treatment of Charles's cock.   
It was too much yet not enough. He loved the way Logan dominated their kiss while Erik's tongue teased his balls. This was everything he'd dreamed it would be and he wanted both men to know how much it meant to him.  
It was an unusual experience, having two men vying for his attention and pleasure at the same time. He continued kissing Logan with a hungry desperation but when they separated for breath, Erik was there, claiming his lips and stealing his attention away from Logan. Their hands explored his body, both men very determined to give Charles the most pleasure.

"Want you both" Charles moaned between kisses. "Both!"  
"Chuck?" Logan asked as he kissed his neck.  
"I can take it" he insisted. "I need it, please?"

Erik looked at Logan. They both heard the desperation in Charles's voice and neither wished to deny him anything he desired. Erik ran his hand down Charles's back to his ass and fingered his already abused hole. Charles bucked his hips enthusiastically, urging Erik in further while plunging his tongue into Logan's mouth.  
Logan wrapped his arms around Charles and pulled the younger man into his lap.   
Charles tugged at Logan's pants, impatient for him to be as naked as he and Erik. The younger man wrapped his fingers around Logan's cock and started to work him while Erik continued to work him.  
It was Charles's turn to take control; he grasped Logan's hand in his while his other hand twisted about in his hair. He gently pulled at the short locks, loving the way Logan grunted his approval. As his tongue explored the confines of the older man's mouth, he felt Erik's lubed fingers teasing his ass, working him open further than earlier. Erik secretly thought Charles would change his mind but every kiss, caress or wank just spurred him on.

Charles knew exactly what he wanted but wasn't entirely sure how to vocalize it. He'd never really thought this would ever happen so he had no idea the logistics of it all. He wanted both of them in and around him, but how?  
Logan hated having to trust Erik on anything but he was sure the other man was doing the right thing in preparing Charles for the fucking of his life. Twice now Logan had come to talk to Charles and twice now he'd ended up naked in the man's bed. For someone who didn't have his powers anymore Charles sure was the master manipulator.

Erik climbed up the bed, kissing his way up Charles's back to the base of his neck. His lover turned his head to meet his gaze; his blue eyes were filled with lust. Erik stole the kiss that was intended for Logan before searching out the discarded bag for more condoms.  
With the box in his hand, Erik took a moment to watch Charles with Logan. He knew it wasn't right to feel jealous but it was an odd sight. Not half an hour ago, Erik had been the one whose lips Charles had been ravishing and now he was all over another man... He pulled two items from the box while his eyes stayed fixed on Charles. It didn't really matter how many men Charles slept with for Erik had been one of the first and nothing could take that away from them... and in just a few minutes, Erik was going to be another of Charles's firsts.  
He stood awkwardly beside the bed, his eyes fixed on the heated kisses between Logan and Charles then he watched as Logan's hand travelled down his back to his behind. He stared as Logan's fingers prodded Charles's prepared hole and the younger man whimpered with approval.

Charles was enjoying the delightful taste of Logan's kisses when he felt a pair of arms around his waist pulling him away. He turned to Erik who immediately kissed him. Logan didn't miss a beat and started exploring the rest of Charles's body with his lips and graze of his teeth.  
He knew this had to be awkward for both Erik and Logan; Erik had never been good at sharing and Logan had made no secret of his dislike of Erik... yet here they were, both willing to work together for Charles's pleasure.  
He didn't see Erik hand over the condom but he heard Logan loudly ripping the packaging open and his heart beat that little bit faster. This was really happening!  
Logan gently nipped at Charles's cheek before climbing to his knees, kissing his way up the younger man's back until he reached his neck. At the same time Erik shifted his kisses from Charles's lips to his neck so both men were suckling on his skin. He moaned both of their names in gratitude as he reached out to touch each of them, tangling his fingers in their hair.  
Neither of them was going to back down first but Charles needed one of them to. As much as he enjoyed both of them playing him, he really just wanted them both to be fucking him. One of them was touching his cock, stroking him, bringing him closer to the edge but he didn't want to fall off just yet. He wanted to come with them both inside him.

"I appreciate the foreplay" Charles said somewhat breathlessly "but someone please fuck me"

They all separated at once yet moved as one to settle on the bed. Logan on one side of Charles and Erik on the other. Charles looked to Erik and kissed him before turning to Logan and kissing him.  
Logan picked up the condom he'd dropped and slipped it on while Erik applied a generous amount of lube to Charles's hole. He passed the tube to Logan who immediately started coating his cock in preparation; his actions were hindered though by Charles's attempts to kiss him.  
Once he was thoroughly prepared, Charles instantly climbed into the older man's lap and kissed him again.

It was one of Charles's favourite positions, being cradled in ones lap while being fucked. He'd perfected the position over time so he was able to impale himself on Logan's large, rock hard cock in one swift movement. He wrapped his legs around Logan's waist and his arms around his neck, holding him close and kissing him appreciatively.  
Logan wasted no time thrusting his hips, pounding Charles as hard as he could. Erik stared at the movements of the two men, watching the way Charles's back arched; Logan's fingers digging into his hips. He moved closer again and picked up the lube Logan had discarded. Erik was tempted to skip the condom, not really wishing to wear another one but he knew he had to. He slipped it over his growing hardness and applied more lube. He hoped it was enough and that their actions here would not hurt Charles.  
From the sounds emitting from the younger man, Erik was impatient to plow right on in but he wanted to give him a few moments of just Logan's cock. It was difficult to just sit there and watch another man fuck Charles yet it was very arousing too. He finally moved closer and parted his lover's cheeks, watching as Logan's cock moved in and out of his hole. He wanted to snap it right off but Charles was still making those delectable sounds of enjoyment; Erik couldn't take that away from him.

Erik started with his index finger, prodding and stretching the tight ring of muscles that were milking Logan's cock. It wasn't long before he was able to slip his middle finger in too, scissoring them and stretching Charles further. This was met with more cries of pleasure from the younger man and Erik stretched up to claim his lips. He twitched his fingers as they kissed so Charles would whimper into the embrace and he wasn't disappointed.  
"Erik" Charles murmured. His lips barely leaving Erik's. "Please... Please?"  
"You've never looked more beautiful darling" Erik whispered in his ear.

He slowly edged his lubed cock into Charles's tight hole, causing the younger man to cry out. Logan groaned as Erik's cock brushed against his own and Charles threw his head back in ecstasy.   
Charles had never felt anything like it. The pain, the pleasure, the mentality. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around the fact that this really was happening. He'd never been stretched or fucked this hard before and it felt amazing!   
Both Logan and Erik's bodies were pressed against Charles's. Erik placed kisses to the younger man's neck while Logan grasped Charles's cock and pumped him almost violently. It too felt amazing and Logan's actions were met with cries of pleasure.

"You like that, Chuck?" Logan teased.  
"Fuck me" he begged. "Fuck me!"

It only took a few moments for Erik and Logan to finally begin working in sync; both working towards the same goal. Charles turned; his neck at an odd angle to kiss Erik while his hand covered Logan's.   
The three men moved together, each playing their part to perfection. It was exhausting, physically and mentally but none of them wanted to stop. They continued for some time, Charles being very vocal with his gratitude. Erik was fascinated that Charles hadn't come yet so he started nipping at the younger man's ear.  
Logan increased the speed of his strokes, working Charles as furiously as he could to bring him closer to orgasm.  
Yet Erik was the first of the three to come, followed moments later by Logan but the two men continued to ride Charles, pushing him closer and closer to the edge. Erik reached down and fondled his balls while Logan worked his hardness. After a few minutes, Charles cried out incoherently as he shot his seed all over Logan's chest.

They were panting as they collapsed in a sated heap on the bed. Charles kissed each of them in turn before resting his head on the pillow with a satisfied smile upon his lips.   
Logan scooped Charles's come from his chest then licked it off his fingers.   
For the second time that night, Erik removed the condom and tossed it into the wastebasket then he lay down beside Charles, wrapping his arms around his waist and spooning his smaller body. Logan followed suit, discarding his used condom into the garbage before returning to Charles's side. It truly was a sight to behold; the younger man looked utterly exhausted and thoroughly fucked.  
Logan lay down beside him; he reached out and gently stroked his cheek before draping his arm across Charles's chest. His eyes were already closed and Logan knew the younger man would be asleep in no time. The right thing to do now was get up and return to his room but he wasn't ready to let Charles go just yet. So Logan closed his eyes too and all three drifted off to sleep within minutes of each other.


	13. Chapter 13

They slept for over an hour until Charles was the first to awaken. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at Logan's face. At first he was confused, then he remembered what the three of them had done and he couldn't stop himself from smiling. Charles turned, to assure himself that Erik was still there. He was.

It was no easy task to extract himself from the tangle of limbs without waking either Logan or Erik but after several slow minutes, he finally managed it. Charles scrambled around the room, looking for his clothes and pulled on a pair of pants. He picked up his shirt and put it on but didn't bother with the buttons.  
He quietly slipped out the door into the hall and made his way to Hank's room, knocking incessantly upon the younger man's door. It took a few minutes for Hank to open it. When he realized his late night visitor was Charles, he immediately went on alert.

"Charles, it's three in the morning" Hank greeted him while rubbing sleep from his eyes.  
"I know and I'm so sorry to bother you this late"  
Hank reached out a hand and placed it upon Charles's shoulder, ushering him into the room and allowing the door to slowly swing shut behind them.  
"What is it? Did Erik...?" He trailed off. If Erik had managed to get away from them then Charles would be in a very different state of mind.  
Charles looked up at him but Hank couldn't read his expression.  
"What happened? Did he do something to you?"  
"He did a lot, actually" Charles dryly replied. "But only after I begged"  
Charles didn't misread the pained look in Hank's eyes, the way his gaze appeared to examine every inch of Charles's body. He moved his hand, which was still on the older man's shoulder, and brushed his hair aside. He could see the teeth marks on his neck but before he could say anything, Charles pulled away and averted his gaze.

"Charles, why are you here?" Hank asked him.  
"We need to talk"   
"Now? At three in the morning?"  
"Are you in love with me?"  
"I.... Wha.... Love...?" Hank stammered for a moment before growing angry. "Where would you get an idea like that?" He wanted to know.  
"So you're not then"  
"Why would you think I was?"  
"I'm sorry... it was just something that Erik-"  
"Oh right so Erik comes back and you welcome him with open legs and take every word he says as truth"  
"I... I didn't... I..."

Hank stepped closer, close enough to kiss Charles but he didn't try. He leaned in and the older man felt like he was being judged.  
"He mentioned it in passing and I just wanted to be sure he was wrong" Charles said. "If you were in love with me, I would know... you would have told me"  
"Would I?"  
"Of course! I mean... I never would have... taken advantage of you if I..."  
"You wouldn't have slept with me, you mean?"  
"Hank, you know I wouldn't have... I would never play with your emotions, your feelings in such a twisted way"

Hank narrowed his eyes.  
"For gosh sakes, Charles" he cried. "You let any man with a pulse come into our home and fuck you... Even now, I can smell not just Erik all over you but Logan too... Logan! The man was in our home for five minutes before you fucked him... And Erik... Look, I understand he was the love of your life and you still can't bring yourself to walk away from him but... You're my best friend, Charles, and it hurts me to see you self-destructing like this!"  
"Hank-"  
"But your conscious is attacking you for sleeping with someone who may have feelings for you? In love with you or not, you're my friend Charles and I care about you. I watched one stranger after another use and abuse your body but when I try to help, to protect you, you're making me into the villain because Erik thinks I'm in love with you!"

Tears prickled the corners of Charles's eyes as he stared at his angry and distraught friend.  
"Hank-"  
"What are you doing here, Charles? You haven't been enough of a slut recently that you need more? You've let both Logan and Erik fuck you tonight but it still isn't enough? What, are you aiming for the whole trifecta? Because he's right... I am in love with you, Charles but I love you and I want you to love me... I'm not your sloppy seconds"

The tears finally trickled down his cheeks as Hank's words cut deep. He opened and closed his mouth several times as he struggled to think of a response.  
"S... Sloppy seconds?" Was all he managed to say  
But Hank was growing angry; too angry. Charles took a step back as Hank shifted into Beast mode. He'd never seen the younger man this angry at him before. It was almost a frightening site.  
"Hank..." Charles began. "Please calm down"  
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Beast hissed.  
"Hank, please, I... I can explain"  
"Explain? Explain why you still haven't stopped whoring yourself around? Why I'm not enough for you?"

Charles blinked back the last of his tears then hastily wiped his cheeks as he turned and headed for the door. Beast reached out, grabbed hold of Charles and forcefully spun him around.  
"Charles!" Beast bared his teeth.  
"This was a mistake" Charles said. "I shouldn't have come... I... I thought we could talk but if you're just going to try to slut shame me-"  
"You did that to yourself, the second you started whoring around"

But all Charles could hear from his friend was the repeated use of the words Slut and Whore which cut him deep. Perhaps Erik had been right after all and now wasn't the best time to talk things over with Hank.  
Charles attempted to pull away but Beast had a very firm grip on his arm. It took a lot of his determination and strength to break free but his momentum caused him to trip and he fell backwards; his head slammed into the closed door and he winced in pain. He closed his eyes as he sank to the floor; Beast's voice sounded far away and more like Hank's as he spoke with concern but Charles stayed seated on the floor with his eyes closed as he told himself he didn't have the energy to argue anymore... and hopefully he wouldn't have a bruise come morning.

**-**

Charles opened his eyes and winced at the brightness of the room around him, half expecting it to still be dimly lit. The shape by the window slowly came into focus and he sat up quickly; too quickly for he immediately winced as he looked around in confusion.

"Hank?" He began. His voice was hoarse and he coughed to clear his throat "Hank?"   
The figure by the window turned and looked at him with a confused expression "Really, Charles? After last night the first thing you do is call for him?"  
Charles coughed again as he struggled to separate himself from the sheets of the bed.  
"How did I get back here?" He asked. "Did he-?"  
"Back?" Erik started towards the bed and sank down on the end of the mattress. "Charles, you never left"  
"Yes, I did... I... I went to talk to Hank"  
"No, you didn't. I stopped you, remember?"  
"After that... After we... We..." Charles trailed off as his eyes flickered around the room. Had the entire thing been a dream?  
"Did we...?" He asked. "Did I... It felt so very real"

Erik reached out and took hold of his hand. His voice was gentle as he spoke.  
"Charles, are you alright?" He sounded genuinely concerned.  
"Was it all a dream?" Charles asked. He wasn't sure what he wanted the answer to be. Being with both Erik and Logan at the same time had been too good to be true but his argument with Hank wasn't something either of them would look back on with pride.  
"Do you often have lucid, vivid dreams Charles?"  
The younger man shook his head. He shifted his position and felt a familiar sting of pain. His ass definitely felt like it had really happened... but was it too embarrassing to ask Erik?  
"You said you stopped me from going to see Hank...?" He decided to play it coy.  
"I did"  
"So I stayed and we..."  
"We did" Erik assured him before placing a kiss to his forehead.  
"And then we...?"  
"You fell asleep" Erik paused as Charles's face fell in utter disappointment. Of course he'd dreamed it; nothing that incredible could truly happen to him. "After Logan and I were both done with you"

Charles looked up with tears in his eyes.  
"That really happened?" He exclaimed.  
"Of course, Charles" Erik was smiling but more at Charles's reaction than anything else. The younger man threw himself into Erik's arms and kissed him deeply before pulling away and playfully hitting him.  
"I thought I dreamt it" he stated.  
"It was no dream, Charles, Logan let himself in after we were being too loud and things… escalated quickly"  
"Okay but after that, I left and went to see Hank"  
"No, you didn't"  
"I did... I know I did. You were asleep and I-" Erik cut him off.  
"I assure you, Charles, you did not leave this room... You were exhausted and fell asleep almost instantly. I lay beside you and" he paused, blushing slightly "I wrapped my arm around you, took hold of your hand but when Logan and I woke up early this morning you hadn't moved an inch... and were still holding my hand"

It took a few minutes for Erik's words to sink in. It hadn't all been in his head; he'd definitely gotten off with both Erik and Logan but then in his mind he'd been drawn to Hank.  
It was a little bit of a relief, knowing he hadn't argued with Hank, that his friend hadn't really gone Beast mode on him but did that mean that, deep down, Charles secretly believed he would?

"What did you think happened with you and Hank?" Erik couldn't resist asking.  
"What?" Charles wondered why Erik was asking.  
"You asked how you got back here... did you believe you fell asleep in his bed?"  
"No... Not exactly"  
"Then what?"  
"We talked" he shrugged. "We... argued and he..." he paused "it doesn't matter"

Charles quickly threw the blanket off so he could get up but was quickly reminded that he was completely naked and he blushed. Erik thought it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen; Charles could be both seductive and naive at the same time. He found it fascinating that his former lover could share his body with two men at once yet still be so modest about being naked in front of him.  
Erik couldn't resist placing another kiss to Charles's cheek before pulling away; he even turned his back so Charles could collect his bag and hightail it into the bathroom.  
By the time he emerged, showered and dressed, Erik was already sorted and ready to go. They didn't have to travel far but the anxious nerves were beginning to show. Erik was very thankful Charles couldn't see into his mind right now for all he seemed to be doing was hoping the younger man would forgive him for what he intended to do.

The four men stopped for breakfast and calmly discussed their game plan though Charles couldn't help noticing how very quiet Erik was.   
Hank also seemed a bit out of sorts which didn't do anything to ease Charles's uncertainty. Yes he'd believed Erik and was almost certain his encounter with Hank last night had all been in his head but that didn't meant it felt any less real... but if it had been true then Hank probably would have apologized as soon as he'd seen him. Perhaps Charles should be the one to apologize first?

Hank left to use the restroom and Charles, not wanting to be left with Erik and Logan, quickly followed him.  
Hank was about to open the door when he turned and was surprised to find Charles right behind him.  
"Charles?" Hank started.  
"Can we talk?" Charles began.  
"Right now?"  
"I just wanted to apologize…"  
"Apologize?"  
"For last night"  
"Last night?"  
"I uh I" he closed his eyes. It sounded so stupid now that he was saying it out loud "I had a dream last night... about you"  
"About me?"  
"I slept with Logan and Erik and then when I went to talk to you, we got into an argument and you went full beast mode on me"  
"Charles, I-"  
"I know it was just a dream but it felt so real and I... I just wanted you to know that I was sorry and I never wanted to hurt you"  
"So you had a dream that you slept with Logan and Erik then we got into a fight about it?"  
Charles froze, unsure how to answer that. Logan and Erik hadn't been part of the dream but maybe Hank didn't need to know that part.  
"Uh... something like that" he finished feebly.

Hank reached out and placed his hand on Charles's shoulder.  
"It means a lot that you would apologize for how you act in your dreams, Charles" he said "but I really hope you don't think too much into it... I'd hate for you to believe I would ever 'go beast mode' on you"  
He nodded in agreement. "I just thought that perhaps you were cross with me or something, Hank and I wanted you to know I was sorry"

Hank leaned in and pulled Charles into a hug. He quietly whispered in his ear. "I'm cross you had Logan and Erik in your bed and didn't think to invite me"  
But he pulled away before Charles could react and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the older man shocked and confused as he made his way back to the table and the arguing Logan and Erik.  
He sat down without saying a word and waited for Hank to return. When he did, he too sat down without speaking and resumed drinking his coffee. Charles wished he knew if Hank really had been hurt by his actions or if that too had all been in his head.

*****

By some miracle they made it through the building in record time, Charles fighting back nervous anticipation as he walked. Any minute now he was going to see Raven, he hoped he'd be able to think quickly enough to say the things she needed to hear.  
It was simple enough to locate her, given the sounds of the disturbance and the amount of people running in the opposite direction.  
They burst through the door and there she was, in her true mutant form, pointing a gun at Trask.

"Raven?" Charles called to her as he stepped into the room with Erik.  
She looked up, surprised to see him but her moment of hesitation allowed her to be hit with a taser which Erik was quick to remove and divert back to her attacker.  
Charles rushed to her side.  
"Raven? Raven?"   
"Charles?" She is confused to see him.  
"We've come for you, Erik & I... Together"  
"I never thought I'd see you again"  
"I made you a promise a long time ago that I would protect you and I know that I haven't kept that promise but I'm going to keep you safe"

As he spoke, the gun on the table flew past and into Erik's hand.  
"Erik?" Raven could see him over Charles's shoulder. He turned around as Raven got up.  
"Erik? What are you doing?" Charles asked, concern pooling in his chest.  
"Securing our future; forgive me, Mystique, as long as you're out there, we'll never be safe"

"Erik" Hank tried to intervene.  
"Use your powers, Charles, stop him" Raven said.  
"He can't" Erik stated.

Everything happened so quickly as Raven leapt to her feet and ran for her life; Hank, in a bid to protect her, launched himself at Erik to throw him off balance but he used his powers to fire the gun and direct the bullet after her.  
Charles and Hank tried to stop Erik while Logan appeared to be distracted by something else. Erik was quick to follow Raven out the window.

Charles got to his feet, rubbing his jaw where Erik had managed to hit him. Logan got his feet, looking around in confusion.

"Where am I? How the hell did I get here?" He asked Charles.  
"What?" He didn't have time for this; Erik was going to kill Raven! "You came to us"  
"Who are you?"  
"Charles" Logan grabbed him, clutching his arm quite hard. "Charles Xavier"  
"I don't know you"

Hank climbed to his feet behind Charles, having shifted into Beast form. Logan looked utterly confused.  
"What the hell is that?" He shouted, as though he'd never seen Beast before.  
Hank looked annoyed but Charles stepped in.  
"I can deal with this" he said more to Hank "just go, stop Erik!"  
Beast took off, leaving Charles to handle the very confused and disoriented Logan.

"You're Logan, that's Hank McCoy, I'm Charles Xavier" he hurried to explain. "You've spent the past few days with us"  
Logan didn't seem to understand, looking around still obviously confused. Charles wondered if he should try another approach.  
"You're on acid" he suggested. "Someone gave you really bad acid... yeah?"

Logan continued to stare at him as though he'd lost his mind.  
"Charles...? Acid...? What...?" He kept trying to recollect himself.  
When that didn't work, he tried one last approach; Charles kissed him. Logan grabbed the front of his jacket as though to push him away but instead he held him tighter, kissing him harder. They separated a moment later.

"Professor?" Logan asked. Charles was relieved to hear him use that name.  
"What happened to you?"  
"I just saw someone whose going to bring me a lot of pain someday" he paused, looking around. "Where's Raven?"  
"Gone" Charles told him. "And we need to get out of here"

They found Hank and the three of them made a hasty retreat. It was no easy feat with the reporters and security in the vicinity. The three of them slipped into a cafe to discuss their options.  
Charles was still in a state of shock; he couldn't quite believe the way Erik had turned against them so quickly. Had last night meant nothing to him? Or had it meant too much? Was this a way of him lashing out for having to share Charles with Logan?  
He immediately hated himself for thinking that Erik's decision to kill Raven had anything to do with Charles.

Hank and Logan argued back and forth over what do to next but it was Charles who made the final decision.  
Both Raven and Erik would go to ground; they had little to no hope of finding either of them in a city this size.  
Charles told them it was time to go home. All three were feeling very defeated as they returned to the air strip and prepared to fly back to America.

There was an entirely different air about the jet on the trip home. The flight over had been filled with sexual tension between Charles and Erik. The lack of his presence was felt by all but especially Charles.  
Both Hank and Logan wanted to say something to him but neither could think of anything that wasn't 'good riddance'.  
Though Logan knew more than Hank what exactly had happened between Charles and Erik the previous night. He only hoped that Charles hadn't deluded himself into thinking Erik still had feelings for him. The Professor was screwed up enough over the situation with Raven; he didn't need his feelings for Erik getting in the way.

They had barely made it through the front door of the mansion when Charles cried out and sank to his knees as his legs gave out beneath him.

"What happened? Why can't he walk?" Logan asked as Hank hurried to Charles's side.  
"He needs his meds" he replied as he helped Charles, who was clutching his head, up.  
"I can hear them" Charles stated, his hands clawing at his temples.

Hank hurried off as Logan stepped closer and tried to talk him through the pain.  
Charles looked up, his eyes fixed upon Logan as he's able to read the man's mind for the first time.  
"As these go" he pointed to his legs "this comes back" he pointed to his mind. "They all come back"  
His eyes filled with tears as millions of voices penetrated his mind.

Logan didn't know what to do for Charles but he tried to think rationally.  
"Look, I'm still here" he said "she's still out there. We need your help, Charles"  
But Charles was already removing his jacket, rolling up his sleeve.  
"Not like this, I need you. You can't find Raven, not without your powers"

Charles continued to stare at Logan even when Hank returned and handed him the needle filled with serum. He took it, eyeing it closely, knowing it was what he needed to take the pain away.  
"Charles?" Logan didn't sound desperate, just determined.  
He didn't need to read his mind to see the pain there. He held the needle in place, his eyes flickering between the serum and Logan.   
The serum could help him, would help to ease the pain but then he wouldn't be able to find Raven, to save Raven, to help Logan. He held Logan's eyes for a moment before putting the needle down in defeat.

The three men remained in position, each looking at the other. Both Logan and Hank understood the decision Charles had just made.  
"Hank? Could you do me a favour? Would you help me to my study please?"

They held each other's gaze; Hank knew exactly what Charles was asking of him. He reached down, slid his arms around him and helped Charles to his feet. The three then made their way to the study where Hank opened the closet to reveal his long discarded wheelchair.

"Are you sure about this?" Hank asked.  
"Absolutely not" Charles replied.

*

It wasn't long before they found themselves in the abandoned hall leading to Cerebro. Logan was almost saddened to see the entire place covered in cobwebs and dust but he didn't say anything as Charles picked up the helmet and Hank started working the dials.  
He was tempted to tell them to stop, that it was too soon for Charles to attempt to use it but it was time they didn't have.

The machine came to life as Charles activated it. Hank and Logan took a step back and watched in silence as the room filled with images. It didn't take long for the machine to overload, Charles screamed in pain and the dials on Cerebro exploded.  
Charles tossed the helmet aside as he continued to experience the pain inside his head. Hank hurried to his side.

"Charles, are you okay? It's alright"  
But Charles was still shaking from shock and pain.  
"I'll go check the generator" Hank offered before walking away, leaving Logan to watch over Charles.

"It's not the machinery, is it?" Logan asked. Charles shook his head as he blinked back tears.  
"I can't do this" Charles explained. "My mind-"  
"Yes, you can"  
"No, it won't take it"  
"You're just a little rusty"  
"You don't understand. It's not a question of being rusty. I can flick switches, I can turn the knobs but my power comes from here" he pointed to his mind "from..." his hand shook in front of his heart "and it’s broken"

He turned the chair around in a bid to leave.  
"I feel like one of my students" he stated "helpless... it was a mistake coming down here; it was a mistake freeing Erik. This whole thing has been one bloody mistake. I'm sorry, Logan but they sent back the wrong man"  
"You're right" Logan agreed with him, this stopped him in his tracks.  
"I am?" He asked without turning around.  
"Actually it was supposed to be you but I was the only one who could physically make the trip" he explained as he moved closer to Charles.  
"And uh I don't know how long I've got here but I do know that a long time ago, actually a long time from now" he leaned down and stared into Charles's eyes "I was your most helpless student and you unlocked my mind. You showed me what I was. You showed me what I could be. I don't know how to do that for you, you're right I don't... but I know someone who might. Look into my mind"

"You saw what I did to Cerebro" Charles said as he continued to hold Logan's gaze. "You don't want me inside your head"  
"There's no damage you can do that hasn't already been done, trust me... come on"

They continued to stare at each other, Charles breathing very heavily as he weighed up his options. He was afraid; afraid of what he might see, of what he might do. He reached up, placed his hand upon Logan's cheek then leaned in and kissed him. Logan was confused, taken by surprise but he returned the kiss.

"You don't have to be afraid of me or my mind" Logan assured him.  
"It's not your mind I'm worried about" Charles confessed.  
"I trust you, Charles, trust yourself"  
Charles nodded then placed his fingers to Logan's temple and plunged himself inside his mind.


	14. Chapter 14

Having successfully made contact with Raven long enough to have determined her destination and the reason behind it, Charles was now on edge at what the following day would bring. He hadn't spoken to Logan since going into his mind, he felt that words weren't necessary between them but he did wish to talk to Hank. He sought him out and found him in the study.

"Hank?" Charles addressed him.  
"Charles, I didn't realize you were still up" he replied "is it the headaches?"  
He shook his head. "May we talk for a moment?"  
"Of course"

But Charles didn't know where to begin and he was trying very hard not to access Hank's mind. As the serum wore off and his powers returned, he had less control over them and unfortunately with Hank being the closest proximity to him it was always his mind that Charles heard the loudest.

"What did you want to talk about?" Hank asked him.  
"I know you tried your best to stop Erik, to stop him from killing her"  
"And yet they both still got away"  
"There's always tomorrow, Hank, we know where she's going, what she's going to try to do and we can still reach her"  
"I'm sorry we couldn't bring her home today, sorry that you had to get your powers back"  
"You are? I thought you disapproved of my using the serum so much"  
"I hate seeing the pain it causes you, Charles" Hank reached out and took hold of his hand. "The headaches, the nightmares, I was there for all of it Charles and it wasn't easy, seeing you in such pain and being unable to help you"  
"You did all that you could, Hank, and I appreciated it immensely... I still do, appreciate everything you've done for me"  
Hank swallowed nervously as Charles held his gaze and hoped, prayed, his friend was not peeking into his mind.  
"It's late" he began as he got to his feet. "Do you uh need a hand...?"

It was a simple enough question that stirred up a lot of memories for both of them. It had been quite some time since Charles had had to rely on someone else for even the simplest of things, of course he'd learnt to cope on his own but it could take a while to return to the habit.  
"If you wouldn't mind" Charles replied. "Thank you, Hank"

They left the study and made their way to the elevator. It hadn't been used in a long time and made some not too comforting sounds but they soon found themselves in the hall.  
"Where would you..." Hank trailed off. It wasn't intended as a pointed question but Charles still hadn't been spending much time in his own room despite his recent romp with Logan; he hadn't spent an entire night alone in there since the night of the assault.  
"Just uh in there" he nodded towards the room opposite Hank's.

Hank opened the door and switched the light on. They both went inside; Charles directed the chair towards the bed while Hank stood back. It wasn't until Charles started to remove his jacket that Hank remembered he was meant to be helping. It too stirred up old memories as Hank hung up the jacket then came back to help him out of his shoes. Sure these were things Charles had done for himself before but it had been a long time and Hank didn't wish to throw him straight into the deep end.  
He slid his arms around Charles and lifted him from the chair, helping him onto the bed. Neither of them said a word as they worked though Hank still hoped and prayed that Charles wasn't eavesdropping on his thoughts. He wasn't sure what else needed to be done as he bought a nightshirt to his friend and handed it to him.

"Thank you, Hank" Charles said with a small smile.  
He pulled it over his head before wriggling out of his pants. Hank picked them up and threw them in the makeshift hamper.  
"Oh... uh... did you..." Hank stammered nervously, "bathroom?"  
Charles blushed and nodded. He wasn't used to relying on someone else to help him to the bathroom.

Hank held his arms out for Charles then helped him down the hall. The bathroom had long been adapted to suit his needs so Hank wasn't needed but he waited outside while Charles brushed his teeth before helping him back to his room and settling him in bed.

"Hank?" Charles whispered. He sounded scared.  
"What's wrong, Charles?"  
"Will you stay with me? Please?"  
"Are you sure?"  
"Please? I... I don't want to be alone"  
"I understand"  
He excused himself to get ready for bed then returned to be by Charles's side. 

The light had been switched off so the room was completely dark as he made his way around the bed and slid under the covers. He kept to his side of the bed, awkwardly terrified of accidentally touching Charles.  
"Hank?" Charles whispered in the dark.  
"Yes?"  
"I think we need to talk"  
"Now?"  
"I don't believe this can wait much longer"  
"Uh okay"  
"You uh know that I uh that Logan and I uh were close"  
"I know you let him fuck you, if that's what you're getting at"  
Charles sighed. "I was with Erik too"  
"By with him you mean...?"  
"Please don't make me say it, Hank"  
"You slept with him"  
"Yes"  
"Because you still love him"  
"Yes"  
"He turned on us, he tried to kill Raven"  
"I know"

Hank rolled over; he reached out, his hand flailing until he found Charles and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder.  
"I'm sorry, Charles" he whispered "I'm sorry he hurt you again"  
"I hate that I let him hurt me... that despite everything he's done, I still love him"  
"Do you uh love Logan?"  
"Why do you ask?"  
"Well... you had sex with him and I saw you kiss him"  
"You did?"  
"In front of Cerebro after I went to check the generator" Hank slid a fraction closer to Charles "I didn't want to interrupt since you seemed very... intimate"  
"It's... complicated"  
"I understand"  
"Hank, I don't even understand it myself"  
"Your body chemistry has been completely messed with because of the serum"  
"It affects my body but not my heart" Charles sighed "it's difficult to explain... I've always loved Erik and seeing him again stirred up a lot of unresolved issues... and Logan... well, he's an enigma. He knows so much about me, things I've never told anyone but I obviously told him so he must be very important to me in the future"

Hank's hand was still on Charles's shoulder so he gently ran his fingers down his arm and reached for his hand. Charles was quick to entwine their fingers.  
"I thought it was just a physical attraction that I felt with Logan" Charles admitted "but in my heart it feels wrong being with him"  
“What do you mean?”  
“He’s from the future; we’re at two very different points of time. He’s from the future, travelled back to the past but he’s not this timeline’s Logan… If we succeed tomorrow, he’ll return to an entirely new future and the Logan we’ve been around these past few days, he won’t exist anymore”  
“What will happen to him once he goes back? To the Logan here I mean”  
“His mind will go back but his body will stay the same, he won’t know us, won’t remember any of this”  
“He won’t remember you”  
“Not a thing about these past few days…” Charles sighed “he’ll probably wake up thinking he blacked out or something”  
“So you could do anything with him and not have to worry about the consequences”

Charles pondered these words, it was an interesting idea made more intriguing by the fact that it was Hank who suggested it. Was Hank encouraging Charles to pursue Logan, knowing that any minute now this Logan could disappear?

“Maybe he’s not the only one I don’t want there to be consequences for” Charles confessed.  
“What do you mean?” Hank asked.

It was an odd experience, lying so close to him in the darkness and not being able to see his face.   
Charles knew he could just peer into Hank’s mind but he wasn’t going to, it wasn’t fair to the younger man to do that but he was terrified as to how this conversation was going to play out. The one in his dream hadn’t exactly gone in Charles’s favour but things were different now, weren’t they? Of course they were, Charles had his powers back and had, once again, lost the use of his legs. He was no longer dependent upon the serum and he’d had a lot of time this afternoon to evaluate his position. With so serum to affect his mind or his body, he could be himself again; he no longer needed Hank in his bed to help relieve the side effects of the serum… But would Hank believe that he still wanted him there?

“Hank, I…” he rolled over and shifted his body closer to Hank, squeezing his hand affectionately “I’m sorry”  
“Sorry for what?”  
“For everything; for using you, for hurting you, for… sleeping with Logan, sleeping with Erik... I wish I could blame the serum for all of it but I can’t. Seeing Erik stirred up so many lingering feelings and Logan… Logan knew so much about me and he looked at me in a way that no one else ever had… and he… I was attracted to him the moment I saw him”  
“Why are you telling me this?”  
“Because I know that my actions hurt you… I never intended for you to see… see me and Logan outside Cerebro today”  
“Charles, you don’t owe me anything… You… You’re free to kiss whoever you want”  
“I’m scared, Hank”  
“You don’t have to be; you’re the bravest, strongest man I know. What could possibly scare you?”  
“Losing the one I love”

Hank immediately released Charles’s hand, placed his hand upon the older man’s waist and pulled his body close so they were now sharing the same pillow. He left his hand on Charles’s waist.

“Raven loves you, Charles” Hank tried to reassure him “you can’t ever give up on her; tomorrow we’ll find her and we’ll talk to her, show her that we’re still her family and that we’ll always be there for her”  
“I’m not talking about Raven” Charles whispered.  
“Then who?”

Through the darkness he felt Charles’s hand touch his cheek and he gently kissed his palm.  
“You’re my best friend, Hank” Charles whispered “all these years you’ve stayed with me; be it out of friendship, love or compassion… You’ve stayed”  
“Charles, please don’t-”  
“Don’t what?”  
“Please don’t say it… I… I don’t think I can take it”

Charles leaned in through the darkness and placed a kiss to Hank’s lips. The younger man closed his eyes, wrapped his arm around Charles’s waist and held him close, deepening the kiss; he pulled Charles into his lap so the older man was straddling him and he continued to kiss him.  
Hank didn’t want to hear anymore; he didn’t want to lose Charles yet but he was afraid if he allowed his friend to keep talking, Charles would tell him this arrangement between them had to end. Hank knew it was inevitable; Charles wasn’t being controlled sexually by the serum anymore so he no longer needed Hank in his bed.

He knew he was crossing a line right now but he also knew that Charles wouldn’t deny him this one last time. Charles had been with Logan and Erik right under Hank’s nose and this was his way of apologizing. He could do anything he wanted to Charles right now and the older man would allow it.  
Hank ran his hand down Charles’s back, over his buttocks and under his night shirt. He frowned into the kiss; Charles wasn’t wearing any underwear so his fingers brushed against the soft skin. Hank dipped his finger between the older man’s cheeks and Charles moaned into their kiss.  
Charles hadn’t expected Hank to come on quite so strong but he secretly loved it. They continued kissing while Hank’s finger prodded at his hole.

“Do you still want me, Hank?” Charles whispered in his ear.  
“Why wouldn’t I want you, Charles?” Hank was confused.  
“I’m not… My legs…”  
“Shhhhh” Hank silenced his protests with a kiss “I can still make you feel… good”

He cocked his finger and Charles moaned; his cries grew louder as Hank added a second finger. The angle wasn’t perfect but the sentiment was. Hank retracted his fingers and Charles whimpered in disappointment but he was quickly rolled onto his back as Hank tossed the blankets off the bed before reaching for the lamp on the side table, tired of fumbling about in the dark.   
The light was low and cast their shadows on the wall as Hank rolled on top of Charles, braced himself on his arms and leaned down to kiss his lips while rubbing his cock against Charles’s. They moaned in unison as their cocks bumped together.

“I will always want you, Charles” Hank whispered. He then started kissing a trail down his body, kissing his chest and nipples before moving lower and teasing his navel. Hank’s teeth scraped Charles’s abdomen and the telepath groaned. He reached down and twirled his fingers in Hank’s hair, urging him lower.   
Hank took the hint and moved lower; he ran his tongue the entire length of Charles’s cock before closing his mouth over the head and sucking eagerly while Charles moaned but he didn’t stop there; he felt like he was doing something wrong as he parted his friend’s legs, lifting him and allowing himself better access to Charles’s special place.  
He let Charles’s cock fall from his mouth and he moved lower still, his tongue licked at Charles’s balls for a moment before he found his main prize. Hank’s tongue started lapping at Charles’s tight, pink hole and Charles cried out with absolute pleasure. No one but Erik had ever used their tongue down there and Charles fisted the pillow.

“Oh God! Hank!” Charles cried out “Hank! Ohhhhhh!”

The moans coming from Charles’s lips just urged him on; he licked and kissed and prodded the puckering ring of muscles while Charles purred with pleasure. He’d never heard his friend make sounds like that before and suddenly he wished he’d done this sooner. Tongue fucking Charles had been a dream of his for a long time but he’d always been too scared to go for it; if this was going to be their last time together, he was going to do everything he’d ever dreamed of.   
He, selfishly, would have preferring Charles to have the use of his legs so the older man could have sat on his face and made for a better angle but he was happy to make do. From the way Charles was purring, he didn’t think his friend was disappointed in his work. 

“Hank…” Charles panted “Hank, stop! I… I’m coming… I’m coming!”

But Hank didn’t stop; the muscles of Charles’s ass tightened as he surrendered to his orgasm and shot his seed from the tip of his cock, all while Hank continued to feast on his hole. It was too much and Charles lost all control of himself and his powers, projecting his sexual bliss to everyone within telepathic reach; Hank and Logan.  
Experiencing Charles’s orgasm through him sent Hank right to the brink but he was able to stave off his own turning point. He licked a path past Charles’s balls and up to his cock where he used his tongue to clean all traces of come from Charles’s body.  
His friend was panting, beats of sweat upon his brow and tears in his eyes.

“Fuck Charles” Hank was still feeling the lingering effects of Charles’s powers. “Was it really that good for you?”  
Charles reached up, grabbed hold of Hank’s shirt and pulled him down for a kiss. He tried to project as much love and appreciation into that one embrace but it still didn’t feel like enough.  
“I love having a tongue in my ass” Charles confessed “but I’ve never told anyone that”  
“It’s been my dream to shove my tongue in your ass, Charles”  
“I fucking love you, Hank”  
“I love fucking you too Charles”  
“Come in my ass, Hank, please?”

This request struck him as odd. In all the months Hank had been helping Charles through his heightened sex drive, he could still count the amount of times they’d had penetrative sex on one hand. They’d often just jerked each other off or Hank would give Charles a blowjob; they had finally progressed to anal sex just a few short weeks ago… Right before Logan had come along but it was different now. There was no serum, no outside forces driving them together. No, right now it was just the two of them, together because they wanted to be. Charles wanted Hank to fuck him, Hank wanted to fuck him too.   
But they needed supplies, lube and condoms. So Hank climbed off the bed and hurried from the room. It was no easy feat with his own erect cock hindering his movements but he threw open the door and rummaged about in the drawer then he hurried back out to the hall where he ran straight into Logan and he froze in fear.

“And here I thought the Professor was just having a vivid sex dream” he joked. Hank swallowed nervously. “So, you and Charles, huh?”  
“I uh I know you and he were uh and that he and Erik were…” he paused, unsure what he was supposed to say. That Logan and Erik had their turns and now it was his?  
“Hey, what happened between me and him or him and Erik or me and him and Erik, doesn’t change how he feels about you”  
“How he feels about me?”  
“Oh… He hasn’t told you yet”  
“Told me what? Logan, please, I know Charles and I don’t exactly have the most conventional relationship… I don’t have the history, the connection with him that he had with Erik and I don’t have your rugged, good looks, the physical attraction the two of you had but he’s my best friend and I love him but without the serum messing with his body, he doesn’t need me in his bed anymore… this is my last chance to make love to him, the way I’ve always dreamed of”  
“Then enjoy it, kid, you’ve earned it”

Logan carefully moved past him, heading towards the bathroom. He desperately needed to clean himself off; he hadn’t shot his load in his sleep like that in many, many a year. Whatever Hank was doing to Charles behind that door, the Professor was obviously enjoying it immensely.   
A part of him was tempted to tell Hank the truth, that when Charles had been in his mind earlier Logan had secretly ferreted his way into Charles’s mind for a quick peek and had been very surprised by what he’d discovered. Buried deep inside his subconscious was his feelings for Hank and Logan had seen how valiantly the Professor had been fighting to hold them back but the bonds were failing and any minute now those feelings were going to surface. All Hank needed to do was hold in there that little bit longer.

Hank waited until Logan had closed the bathroom door behind him before he hurried back to the bedroom. He pushed the door closed then turned and looked at the bed; Charles had shed his nightshirt and was lying completely naked upon the bed, eagerly awaiting his friends return.

“Problem?” Charles asked him.   
“Uh no” Hank confessed “ran into Logan in the hall”  
“Is everything alright?”  
“He was just heading for the bathroom”  
“I projected, didn’t I?” Charles blushed in embarrassment “when I… When…”  
“Uh yeah you did” Hank said to him “but it’s okay… at least I know you were enjoying yourself”  
“And now Logan does too”  
“He thought you had a sex dream”  
“He thought I had a dream that caused you both to…?” Charles actually laughed.

Hank moved towards the bed and climbed on beside his friend. He placed the condoms and the lube on the mattress next to him then reached out and put his hand on Charles’s shoulder.

“If you don’t want to do this anymore…” Hank started.  
“No, no I do want this, I want you to…” Charles smiled almost shyly “but I uh may not be able to get it up again so quickly”  
“I’m still real close after your slip so uh I may not last long anyway”

Charles kissed Hank then lie down on his back, staring up at him from beneath his lashes. Hank licked his lips in nervous anticipation. He shifted his position, kicked off his pyjama pants and placed himself between Charles’s legs then he coated his index and middle fingers with lube before slowly easing them inside Charles who immediately moaned. The sounds were like music to Hank’s ears and he worked his friend’s hole with vigorous enthusiasm, his ministrations caused Charles to make all kinds of appreciative noises.  
Hank took his time to prepare him, savouring his last time with Charles. He told himself to man up and not cry but he loved Charles so very much and he was going to miss having the older man in his bed, his arms, his embrace. He cocked his fingers, working Charles’s prostate and sending him crazy with want, need, desire.

“Please, Hank?” Charles started begging “I… I need… need you to… to fuck me!”

Hank eased his fingers free and Charles whimpered at the loss of stimulation but his eyes watched eagerly as Hank tore open the packaging, pulled out the condom then slipped it over his hard cock. He picked up the lube but Charles took it from him, poured it upon his dick then used his fist to spread the lube over the length of Hank’s cock. Their eyes locked at Charles touched him.  
Then Hank moved again, he made sure Charles was comfortable then he elevated his ass to allow himself better access. He parted his friend’s legs then directed his hard cock towards his ready ass. His lubed dick slid right on in until he was buried balls deep in Charles’s ass. They both moaned at the familiar sensation. Charles reached up, gripped the front of Hank’s shirt and pulled him down to meet him for a passionate kiss.

“Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me” Charles begged.  
Hank reached up and brushed Charles’s hair off his face; he held his gaze.  
“I’m going to make love to you, Charles” he whispered before kissing him again then he started to move his hips.  
It was passionate and beautiful, their tongues danced erotically while Hank made sweet, tender love to Charles. For someone so close to the brink, Hank managed to hold on a very long time as they moved together. He felt Charles’s cock stirring and he worked it with his fist right up until he surrendered to his own orgasm and he came, filling the condom to the brim. Charles was still only semi-hard but he was exhausted so Hank released his grasp on his cock and kissed him very tenderly on the lips.

Charles was mentally and physically exhausted; it had been a long day and Hank had given him a beautiful gift in these moments. He lay on his back, his head upon the pillow and his eyes drooping closed. Hank pulled out of him, discarded the used condom and covered his friend with the blanket. He cleaned himself off, switched off the lamp and crawled into bed beside Charles.   
Hank pulled Charles into his arms and kissed his cheek before whispering in his ear.  
“I love you, Charles”  
Charles was almost asleep but he was lucid enough to whisper his own reply.  
“I love you too, Hank”

The words had barely left his lips before he’d drifted off. Hank lie awake for most of the night with Charles’s words echoing about in his mind. Was it possible? Did Charles feel the same way about him? No, it couldn’t be, could it?  
Was there really a chance that Charles loved him?


	15. Chapter 15

Hank barely slept a wink all night as he held Charles in his arms, wondering if perhaps this wasn’t the last time he’d have Charles in his embrace. Their shared sentiments continued to swirl about in his head and a part of him feared what would happen once his friend awoke; would they be forced to talk about it or could they put their feelings aside in order to do what they had to do.  
He was trying to motivate himself to get moving, to leave the warmth of the bed and the feeling of Charles in his arms when the door slowly opened and Logan was standing there with a knowing smirk upon his face.

“You’re a lucky man, Hank” Logan said to him.  
“If only I was worthy of his love” Hank said almost sadly.  
“The heart wants what it wants”

Hank placed a kiss to Charles’s forehead before carefully sliding out of bed. He tried to hide his nakedness from Logan but the older man was still smirking to himself. As Hank made his way towards the door, Logan quietly whispered in his ear.

“Or maybe Charles is the lucky one”   
Hank blushed furiously, knowing that Logan had seen and appreciated the size of his cock. He hurried past and straight into the bathroom. The door had barely closed when Charles began to stir; he immediately reached out a hand for Hank and was surprised to find an empty bed beside him. Charles opened his eyes and spotted Logan in the doorframe.

“Logan” Charles greeted him “uh good morning”  
“Morning Chuck” Logan replied with a knowing smile.  
“Uh… Have you uh been standing there long?”  
“Long enough to see Hank disappear into the bathroom” Charles felt himself blushing as he sat up. “Do you need a hand? I can uh assist you”  
“It’s uh fine… I um Hank will be back in a moment”  
“Guess I’ll start on breakfast then”

Logan turned on his heel and made his way down to the kitchen but by the time Hank and Charles joined him all he’d managed to do was prepare the coffee. Charles poured himself a cup while Hank took over cooking duties. The three of them sat around the table, eating and discussing their plan of action. Several times during the meal, Charles made to get something and tried to get up; forgetting he no longer had the use of his legs. It was difficult for Hank to watch, he’d known how much Charles valued his independence and it would take him some time to get back into old habits.

All too soon the three of them found themselves back on the jet, this time heading for Washington. Charles was sitting by the window, absently stroking his leg.  
“You alright?” Logan asked him.  
“Getting there” Charles replied.

Logan paused, slightly hesitant, as he weighed up whether to say what was on his mind.  
“Whatever happens today, I need you to promise me something” he started. “You looked into my mind and you’ve seen a lot of bad but you’ve seen the good too. The X-Men” he leaned forward in the seat, holding Charles’s gaze “promise me you’ll find us, use your power, bring us together, guide us, lead us. Storm, Scott… Jean… Remember those names. There’s so many of us. We will need you, Professor”  
“I’ll…” Charles started “do my best”  
“Your best is enough” Logan assured him “trust me”

*

Hank landed the jet and the three of them made their way across town to the White House. Blockades and security checkpoints were no problem for them now that Charles had his powers back. They were waved through the metal detectors with ease thanks to his ability to alter the minds of the security.   
Charles quickly scanned the crowd in a bid to find Raven as the President took to the stage and started his speech.

The sentinels Logan had spoken of were unveiled before them, causing Logan and Hank to exchange an uneasy look. Everything he’d come back here to stop was starting to happen before his eyes. Then Charles spoke Raven’s name.  
“I have her” he said to Hank and Logan, as he held her in place and pointed across the lawn “there, see? Secret Servicemen, side of the stage. Go!”  
Hank and Logan immediately took off after her as the sentinels came to life and rose above the crowd. They were stopped in their tracks by a security guard and they could only hope Charles was still trying to get through to her.  
Then the Sentinels opened fire on the crowd and pandemonium hit as everyone began to run for cover.

Charles lost his connection with Raven as he looked into the sky above and cried out a single name.  
“Erik!” He knew Trask wasn’t behind this, that it had to be Erik.  
He scanned the minds of the crowd but he could no longer sense Raven or Trask. He tried to reach further but he couldn’t sense Erik either. Then he saw him as the stadium moved closer and closer, the sentinels forming a barrier before Erik.  
Charles looked up as the large stadium floated closer, he heard someone call a warning to him as the stadium began to drop from the sky. He leapt free of his wheelchair as the stadium and debris fell to the ground and he was instantly pinned beneath a large metal scaffold. He could sense Hank’s desperation to reach him but could only watch as the Sentinels took their positions atop the collapsed stadium. They almost appeared to be surveying the area below. Charles tried to move the metal from his body but it was too heavy.

“I’m probably not supposed to ask this” Hank asked Logan “but in the future, do I make it?”  
“No” Logan stated “but we can change that, right?”

Hank looked at Logan for a moment before turning and examining the destruction before them; Charles was trapped somewhere in the debris and they needed to find him but he couldn’t do it like this. He reached up, removed his glasses and gave in to his Beastly instincts, Logan watched as Hank turned but his pride was short lived as the Sentinel behind Erik immediately turned on them and opened fire. They both leapt forward and attacked the oncoming Sentinel but Hank took control and quickly ordered Logan to carry on; they needed to stop Erik.

Logan turned and took off towards the man in the cape and helmet. He knew the helmet was meant to keep Charles from his mind but he wondered if Erik knew that he’d almost killed Charles when he’d dropped the stadium on them. He ran towards him as Erik started sending random pieces of debris his way and he was forced to knock them aside.  
Erik’s assault was aggressive and angry but a part of him knew where it was coming from. Erik definitely hadn’t been okay with sharing Charles with Logan. A large chuck of cement hit him from behind and Logan fell to the ground. The thick metal tubing broke free of the cement and started to dig their way into Logan’s body; his legs, his back, his arms. It had been a long time since he’d felt pain like that and he looked up at Erik, watching as he directed the pieces of metal painfully into Logan. Here was a man driven by vengeance.

Erik was enjoying every second of it, listening to the sounds of pain emitting from Logan’s lips as the metal cut through him. He raised his hand, lifting Logan off the ground and staring at him with a smug expression upon his face.

“He was mine first” Erik hissed “and I never was very good at sharing”  
“You’re an asshole” Logan said through gritted teeth “you never deserved him”  
“And you’ll never have him again” Erik continued “So much for being a survivor”   
With a single flick of his wrist, he sent the metal and Logan from the stadium and out of his life, hoping to never see the man again. Then he turned back to the White House to complete his mission.

Within seconds Erik had located the bomb shelter and had ripped it clean from the building then he tore the front panel free and took control of all the weapons being drawn by the secret service officers. He could see the look of fear on each of their faces. He turned around, flicked his wrist and turned all the cameras to focus upon him.

“You built these weapons to destroy us” he declared “Why? Because you are afraid of our gifts. Because we are different. Humanity has always feared that which is different. Well, I'm here to tell you, to tell the world, you're right to fear us! We are the future! We are the ones who will inherit this earth! And anyone who stands in our way will suffer the same fate as these men you see before you! Today was meant to be a display of your power. Instead, I give you a glimpse of the devastation my race can unleash upon yours! Let this be a warning to the world. And to my mutant brothers and sisters out there, I say this: no more hiding. No more suffering. You have lived in the shadows in shame and fear for too long. Come out. Join me. Fight together in a brotherhood of our kind! A new tomorrow, that starts today!”

A noise from behind caused him to turn around and find the President standing before him. Erik was surprised, having assumed him to be a coward like the rest of the human race.

“You want to make a statement?” the President declared “Kill me, fine! But spare everyone else!”  
“Very heroic, Mr. President” Erik replied “But you have no intention of sparing any of us. The future of our species begins now!”  
He used his powers to lower the guns, to bring them closer and keep them trained upon the men before him. To his left a Sentinel came running towards him so he used his powers to take it out. With his attention on the Sentinel, he failed to see the President pull a gun on him and before he realized what was happening, a bullet had grazed his neck.

Erik lost control of the guns as he clutched the wound and fell to the ground. The Sentinels stopped moving as Erik looked up and the President was no longer the President, in his spot stood Raven in her true blue form.

“You used to be a better shot” he said to her as she moved towards him.  
“Trust me, I still am” she said as she knocked him to the ground.

With Erik out of her way, Raven turned with the gun in her hand and pointed it squarely at Trask but before she could pull the trigger, Charles appeared before him, blocking her shot.

“Get out of my head, Charles!” she shouted.  
“Raven, please do not make us the enemy today”  
“Look around you, we already are”  
“Not all of us, Raven. All you've done so far is save the lives of these men. You can show them a better path”

He was trying so valiantly to make her understand. He looked up as Hank made it to his side and knelt before him.  
“Shut her down, Charles” Hank begged, knowing it was the quickest way to resolve it but Charles shook his head no.  
“I've been trying to control you since the day we met, and look where that's got us... everything that happens now is in your hands. I have faith in you, Raven”  
He’d said all he could and he broke the connection between them, hoping he’d done enough. He quickly discovered his faith hadn’t been misplaced for Raven eventually dropped the gun. For a moment, nothing happened until she turned and walked towards Erik, yanked the helmet from his head.

“He’s all yours, Charles” Raven called out.  
So Charles did something he’d sworn he’d never do; he used his powers on Erik to awaken him and control his body, using his powers to control Erik’s powers and lift the heavy metal that had pinned him to the ground off of himself before he released his hold on Erik.  
Hank immediately reached for him, pulled him close and helped him to get up. Both Charles and Hank looked over and saw Erik standing barely a few feet away, he appeared dazed and confused. Erik stared at his discarded helmet then he looked up at Charles and Hank… The way Hank was supporting Charles, how Charles was leaning upon him.

‘Is he really what you want?’ Erik spoke only to Charles.  
‘Look around us, Erik, at the destruction you’ve caused’ Charles replied ‘you could have killed so many people today, myself included’  
‘I never intended to hurt you, Charles’  
‘You should probably go, Erik’

“If you let them have me, I'm as good as dead. You know that” Erik said aloud.  
“I know” Charles said to him  
“Goodbye, old friend” Erik called.  
“Goodbye, Erik” Charles replied, his arm still around Hank’s neck.

They watched in silence as Erik lifted himself off the ground and flew away. He always had been one for the dramatics. Charles then turned his attention to Raven who was standing several feet away near the exit. His eyes met with hers, even from this distance and she could see the bond that had formed between Charles and Hank. She smiled at the couple before turning on her heel and slowly walking away.

Hank was more surprised than Charles was that after all this Raven still chose to leave them.  
“Are you sure you should let them go?” Hank asked him.  
“Yes, I have hope for them” Charles replied “there’s going to be a time, Hank, when we’re all together”  
“What about Logan?”  
“He did what needed to be done; Raven didn’t kill Trask so the future that he knew no longer exists”  
“Should we go find him?”  
“He’ll find us, when the time is right”  
“So what should we do in the meantime?”  
“First, we should leave here and quickly”

Hank nodded in understanding. He reached down and scooped Charles up into his arms. Charles reached up and touched the minds of the men in the immediate area, telling them to stand down and let them be on their way. So Hank carried Charles away from the White House and down the street, hoping the rental car would be where they left it and still in one piece.  
He found it easily enough and he set Charles down on the bonnet of the car before rummaging around in his pocket for the keys. Hank unlocked the car, opened the passenger door then returned to the front to assist Charles. As he reached out to help him, Charles leaned forward and kissed him. Hank pulled away in surprise.

“What was that for?” Hank asked him.  
“We have a lot of work to do, Hank, and a much better future to prepare for” Charles said to him.  
“No, I uh I get that but what are you doing?”  
“I love you, Hank, and I just... needed you to know that”  
“Right, I get it… Logan’s gone, Erik’s gone, I’m the only one still here so you’re settling for me”  
“I chose you, Hank, I tried to tell you so many times last night but you didn’t want to hear it; you were so afraid that what I had to say wasn’t what you wanted to hear but it was… I was selfish, sleeping with Logan, sleeping with Erik; All this time, I shouldn’t have taken you for granted. I should have just been honest with you in the first place and…”

The rest of his words were cut off by a kiss from Hank.  
“I love you too, Charles” he whispered “I fucking love you”   
“And I love fucking you, too” Charles replied. “Now come on, let’s go home… The mansion isn’t going to tidy itself up and we have a new school year to prepare ourselves for”  
“You think we can get the school up and running again?”  
“With you by my side, I know we can achieve anything we dream we can”  
Hank smiled then leaned down and kissed Charles again.


End file.
